www.midwestsportsscene.com
  • Home
  • B1G /College
  • Motor Sports
  • Michigan Golf Scene
  • PGA/LPGA/Legends
  • B1G/MAC Football
  • Droned Courses
  • Archived Opinions/Photo Galleries
  • About
  • Contact
Picture
Inside​​           
  • AARON LORINCZ WINS MEN'S SERIES EVENT AT THUNDERBOWL LANES (Below)
  • To the irritation of nature lovers, the Detroit Grand Prix is returning to Belle Isle in 2021​ (Motorsports Pg. )
  • Loberg Records Another Top-20 Finish at Georgia State Invite The Bend, Ore. native has five career top-20 showings (MGS Pg.)
  • Zack Mason Named MAC Golfer of the Week (MGS Pg.)
    The Toronto, Ontario, Canada native collects the MAC weekly honor for the first time
    ​
  • B1G Athletes of the Week
  • World of Outlaws is rescheduling races after Texas power outage (Motor Sports Pg.)

Tom Daugherty Wins PBA Scorpion Championship for Second WSOB XII Title His fourth career title

Tom Daugherty won his fourth career PBA Tour title and second of the World Series of Bowling XII, defeating Kyle Troup, 266-254, in the title match of the PBA Scorpion Championship. On Saturday, Daugherty won the Guaranteed Rate PBA World Championship for his first career major title. Sunday, Daugherty and his partner BJ Moore finished second in the PBA Roth/Holman Doubles Championship.   “You can’t imagine this,” said Daugherty. “I thought maybe I’d win the Scorpion, or maybe win the Doubles, but to win the World Championship and the Scorpion? It’s not even something I thought of.”   In the eliminator format, Daugherty bowled a 244 to lead the three advancing players out of the opening match, leaving Michael Tang on the outside. In the next match, Daugherty rolled 276 while Troup posted 279, leaving Kris Prather in third place.   “The lane play was totally different from what I expected,” said Daugherty, citing Tang’s decision to use urethane. “Once I got in the groove, I knew what I had to do to get my ball into the pocket. I just had to throw it slowly enough and get it on line and it was going to carry and go high flush.”   The top seed for best-of-five match play, Daugherty eliminated No. 16 Pete Weber in the Round of 16 and No. 8 Walter Ray Williams in the Round of 8, winning both series three games to two. Both Weber and Williams announced their retirement earlier today, making Daugherty the final opponent for the legends.   “Coming in today and having to bowl Pete Weber and Walter Ray, are you kidding me?” said Daugherty. “If it didn’t happen, I wouldn’t believe it.”   World Series of Bowling XII took place at AMF University Lanes and Daugherty wasn’t shy about admitting an advantage over the rest of the field.   “I love bowling here,” said Daugherty. “I win a lot of tournaments here.”   PBA Scorpion Championship Final Standings AMF University Lanes – Tampa, Fla.   Tom Daugherty, earns $30,000 Kyle Troup, $15,000 Kris Prather, $8,000 Michael Tang, $5,000

Picture

JEFFREY AUSTRENG WINS MDUSBC MASTERS AND CLAIMS $2,000 FIRST PRIZE AT WESTLAND BOWL

Two-time Masters champion Jeffrey Austreng of Waterford remained in the winner’s bracket and beat fellow two-time champion Justin Knowles of Okemos 430-413 in the final two-game match to win the Metro Detroit USBC Masters Tournament at Westland Bowl in Westland Sunday. Austreng claimed the title and the $2,000 first prize making him the third three-time champion in the 58-year history of the event joining Dick Beattie (1974, 1980 and 1981) and Mark Moore (2001, 2003 and 2004). Knowles settled for the second place check of $1,000.
Austreng, the 2005 and 2007 Masters champion, qualified 16th with a six-game total of 1,319. In match play, he beat Carl Boldt of Pontiac 435-313, two-time champion Justin Knowles of Okemos 488-441, defending champion Ryan VanHecke of Chesterfield 438-411, Lonnie Jones of Ypsilanti 471-430 and Mason Brantley of Detroit 476-399 to remain the lone survivor in the winner’s bracket. He then lost to Knowles 448-420 before coming back to claim the championship 430-413. He averaged 223.8 for 20 games of competition.
Knowles, the 2018 and 2019 Masters champion, was the top qualifier with 1,523. After losing his first match to Jeffrey Austreng of Waterford 488-441 he moved through the loser’s bracket with wins over Kenneth Wyatt of Sterling Heights 433-399, Conner Lackey of Jackson 505-376, Craig Nidiffer of Dearborn Heights 470-410, Matthew Coleman of Waterford 482-385, Jones 524-433 and Brantley 452-349 to advance to the championship match. Once in the final match he avenged the earlier defeat to Austreng 448-420 before falling 430-413 to end the day. Knowles averaged 240 for 26 games of competition.
Brantley, the 2011 Masters champion, qualified 11th with 1,339, including a 300 game. In match play, he defeated Dan Pollak of Fraser 362-360, Conner Weber of Wayne 495-431, Christopher Nielson of Livonia 496-366 and Derrick Norman of Saginaw 405-382 before falling into the loser’s bracket with a loss to Austreng 476-399. In the loser’s bracket, he then lost to Knowles 452-349 to end his day. Brantley averaged 213.6 for 18 games of competition and settled for $700.
Bazzy, the 2019 MDUSBC Junior Masters champion, qualified fourth 1,398. He won his first match over Terrance Bell of Pontiac 462-355, before falling to Jones in double overtime 58-26 after tying with 392 and 60-60 in the first two-frame overtime. Once in the loser’s bracket he prevailed over Weber 453-422, VanHecke 502-476, and Norman 480-397 before falling to Knowles 448-427 to end his day. Bazzy averaged 228.6 for 18 games and took home $500 for his efforts.
Jones qualified 12th with 1,333 and took home $450 for his fifth place finish. Derrick Norman finished sixth for $450, Matthew Coleman seventh for $400 and Ryan VanHecke eighth for $400.
There were five 300 games in the competition, tying the record set in 1994 at Satellite Bowl. Knowles, Jones and Pollak bowled them in match play; and Brantley and Ryan Briguglio of Macomb in qualifying.


PL              NAME    CITY    AVERAGE WINNINGS       
                                               
1               Jeffrey Austreng        Waterford       223.85   $     2,000   
2               Justin Knowles  Okemos  239.96   $     1,000   
3               Mason Brantley  Detroit 213.61   $       700   
4               Drake Bazzy     Flat Rock       228.56   $       500   
5               Lonnie Jones    Ypsilanti       222.31   $       450   
6               Derrick Norman  Saginaw 221.71   $       450   
7               Matthew Coleman Waterford       217.94   $       400   
8               Ryan VanHecke   Chesterfield    212.69   $       400   
9               Conner Weber    Wayne   225.79   $       350   
10              Craig Nidiffer  Dearborn Heights        223.42   $       350   
11              Chris Nielson   Livonia 210.29   $       350   
12              John Tovar      Waterford       197.07   $       350   
13              Conner Lackey   Jackson 223.08   $       325   
14              Perry Crowell IV        St Clair Shores 214.36   $       325   
15              Dan Pollak      Fraser  209.00   $       325   
16              Zakarey Geer    Madison Heights 208.00   $       325   
17              Ryan Briguglio  Macomb  222.40   $       300   
18              Dan Jordan      Livonia 219.10   $       300   
19              Justin Neiman   Macomb  218.10   $       300   
20              Kenneth Wyatt   Sterling Heights        211.50   $       300   
21              Peter Kaczmarczyk       Warren  208.90   $       300   
22              Terrance Bell   Pontiac 207.00   $       300   
23              Carl  Boldt     Pontiac 206.20   $       300   
24              Harold Sullins  Chesterfield    205.00   $       300   NON-CASHING SENIORS (50- AND OVER)
Picture

Michigan State announces basketball team will now be called 'MSU Spartans Presented by Rocket Mortgage'

Picture

Detroit Lions: It is Quintez Cephus’ time to shine in 2021

Picture
by Nathan Williams     
     The Detroit Lions are entering the 2021 season in full rebuild mode under new head coach Dan Campbell. Campbell was given a six-year contract in the Motor City, signaling that he will be given sufficient time to “re-tool” the team.
One exciting advantage Detroit has over other NFL teams is that most of their coaching staff are former players. Anthony Lynn was recently brought in as the new offensive coordinator after spending 2020 as San Diego Chargers head coach. There, he helped develop first-year quarterback Justin Herbert who was the NFL rookie of the year.
Former Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell is now the quarterback coach in Detroit. Considering the Lions’ current quarterback situation with Jared Goff and a possible rookie joining the team via the NFL Draft, Brunell appears to be the perfect coach to help develop Detroit’s signal-callers.

In my opinion, the hires that were brought in are a great start to building a contending team in the NFC North. Now comes the building of the roster.
NFL Free Agency begins on March 17, and the NFL Draft starts on Thursday, April 26. It’s obviously hard to predict who Campbell and the company will bring in to join the team.
What’s not so hard to predict is who’s leaving the team. Marvin Jones has been the Lions No. 1 wide receiver on and off for a few years. He’s now a free agent heading into his tenth season.
For Jones, “nothing is off the table,” as he said in a Sirius XM radio interview.
Other wide receivers that will hit the market are:
  • Danny Amendola
  • Mohamed Sanu
  • Kenny Golladay
  • Jamal Agnew
That’s basically everyone, but there is one guy left.
2020 Detroit LionsQuintez Cephus was selected in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft with pick 166 overall. He played his college football at the University of Wisconsin, where he had 93 receptions, for1,496 yards, and 13 touchdowns.
Cephus is a strong, aggressive, physical receiver. He doesn’t have burst, but he runs routes well and finds a way to get open.  If he’s not open, he still catches the ball in a small window.
Size and body positioning create workable windows in tight quarters and his ball skills build trust with the quarterback. He’s a build-up runner who lacks suddenness to uncover and may need to be motioned, bunched, and lined in the slot to help with early separation. Teams know he can catch it but will need to see him get open. — NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein



When the 2021 season kicks off, Cephus will likely be the only wide receiver on the roster, but others will be brought in. The Lions could go wideout in the first round at No. 7.
Guys like Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith will probably be available. Does Detroit bring in a wide receiver with their first-round pick?
Doesn’t offer that late burst to the football and his speed is gradual. Battles through tightness in his lowers on horizontal cuts. Twitch and suddenness is missing. — The Draft Network’s Joe MarinoIt’s highly probable if you put any stock into the mock drafts many NFL analysts have been putting out.
Whether someone that is highly talented is brought in through the NFL Draft or free agency, Cephus will have an amazing opportunity to show the world what he has.
And he’s ready.

Detroit Lions: Brad Holmes needs to continue prioritizing the offense

By Bob Heyrman from Fan Side Daily
The perfect scenario for the Detroit Lions would be trading down in the first round of the NFL Draft adding much-needed draft capital but continue to focus on the offensive side of the football, particularly at the wide receiver position.
I understand how awful the Detroit Lions defense performed under former head coach Matt Patricia, but as it stands now, the organization needs help at all levels of their defense.  Repairing that side of the football will take more than a top-fifteen choice in the draft.  I’d prefer to add an elite talent on offense and focus on adding multiple defensive pieces throughout the draft.
Many experts seem to be wavering between quarterback Trey Lance or linebacker Micah Parsons if Detroit holds onto the seventh overall pick.
This is where things get tricky for me, particularly surrounding Lance.  If the Detroit Lions have an opportunity to choose Lance but opt to trade down or select someone like Parsons or even a receiver, we will always be following Lance’s career, and he could be the ‘what if’ player.
MORE FROM DETROIT JOCK CITY
  • Detroit Lions should target Rhamondre Stevenson late in the NFL draft
  • Detroit Tigers: Fans can look forward to the new “Bash Brothers”
  • Detroit Tigers: Right side of the infield will add power to the lineup in 2021
  • Detroit Pistons: Is Saben Lee establishing himself as the PG of the future?
  • Detroit Red Wings: Could Marc Staal be flipped at the trade deadline?
If Lance is a star, it will be a tough pill to swallow for the next twenty years; if he’s mediocre and Detroit selects an All-Pro player at a different position, general manager Brad Holmes will look like a genius.
I don’t dislike Lance, but I think he’s a tier-two quarterback prospect in the upcoming draft.  Lance isn’t Trevor Lawrence, and I feel he’s a ways behind Zach Wilson.  I’d put Lance slightly ahead of Justin Fields, but they’d be on the same level.
That being said, Lance may not even be available when the Detroit Lions are on the board at seven if NFL organizations have him pegged as the third-best quarterback entering the 2021 NFL Draft.
The Detroit Lions should select a player on offense in the first round of the NFL Draft.After adding 26-year old Jared Goff, the Lions need to surround him with some weapons on offense.  Are we certain that Lance will be better than Goff?  I’m all for drafting Lawrence or Wilson, but I expect they will be selected first and second overall.
If the Lions fail to find a trade partner for the seventh overall pick, offensive tackle Penei Sewell would be my first (non-quarterback) choice.  I don’t expect Sewell will be available at seven, but stranger things have happened.  It would be nice to bolster the offensive line by pairing Sewell with Taylor Decker for several years.
My next choice would be one of the top three receivers.  I’d be content with either Ja’Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle, and DeVonta Smith.  Many will have Smith above Waddle, but I feel that Waddle has a higher ceiling at the professional level, but if both Chase and Waddle are unavailable, the Detroit Lions should be thrilled with adding Smith.
We’re waiting to see what the Detroit Lions choose to do with star receiver Kenny Golladay, leaving just Quintez Cephus as the only other notable pass-catcher rostered heading into free agency and the draft.  The Lions should add a couple of young playmakers on the outside to give Goff a chance to succeed.

Michael McDowell wins rain-delayed Daytona 500 after last-lap wreck

Christopher Bell captures first career Cup win on Daytona Road Course

​By
Holly Cain NASCAR Wire Service February 21, 2021  at 6:37 PMDAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — For the second consecutive week, Daytona International Speedway crowned a first-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell earned the honor Sunday on the track’s road course, taking the lead from Joey Logano with two laps to go and pulling away to a comfortable 2.119-second victory over the former series champion.
Bell, 26, is the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion and this is his second season at the premier level — his first driving for the championship Gibbs organization. His work Sunday, however, was more reminiscent of a veteran. There were eight caution flags, eight race leaders and a whole lot of action in the waning laps.
RELATED: Official race results | At-track photos
Bell pulled around Logano in the chicane just yards before the white flag and easily stretched the lead to earn his first career NASCAR Cup Series trophy. Bell’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin finished third, followed by Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski.
Kevin Harvick, AJ Allmendinger, last week’s Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell — also a first-time winner this season — Ryan Preece and Alex Bowman rounded out the top 10. This is just third time in NASCAR Cup Series history the season has started with two first-time winners — joining 1949 and 1950.
Picture
Michael McDowall wins for the first time in 358 NASCAR starts. 
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Michael McDowell was glued to Brad Keselowski's bumper, watching and waiting for his chance to win the Daytona 500.
Joey Logano was the leader, the laps were winding down and yet no one had the nerve to pull out of traffic. McDowell was certain Keselowski would go for it, eventually, and when he did, McDowell would play his hand.

     On the final lap, Keselowski attempted to dart around Logano, but Logano threw a block on his teammate that crashed them both. McDowell stayed right where he was, flat in the gas, and drove through a crash scene for a stunning upset.
"I knew he would go for a race-winning move, and my plan was to let him make that move,'' McDowell said. ''I knew I didn't want to make my move too early, so I was committed to the [Keselowski] bumper; and when he made the move, the hole opened up."
     A 100-1 underdog when the race began Sunday afternoon, McDowell won for the first time in 358 Cup starts when the checkered flag finally flew about 15 minutes after midnight. The race was stopped by rain for almost six hours and ended nine hours after the green flag waved at Daytona International Speedway.
"There's been lots of years where I was wondering what the heck am I doing and why am I doing it?" McDowell said. "I always knew if I just kept grinding that one day everything will line up and go right.''
NASCAR's season opener was stacked with storylines. Denny Hamlin was trying for a record third consecutive Daytona 500 victory, and the team he started with Michael Jordan was debuting with driver Bubba Wallace.
Kyle Larson was back after nearly a year in exile for using a racial slur, and reigning Cup champion Chase Elliott was going for his first Daytona 500 win.
And all the way at the back of the field, 1990 Daytona 500 winner Derrike Cope made what he said would be his final NASCAR start. At 62, he was the oldest driver in the field, and his upset victory 31 years ago was considered the biggest in race history.
McDowell didn't take that title from Cope, partly because McDowell is a strong superspeedway racer capable of mixing it up with the usual suspects. If he could ever find himself in the right place at the right time, McDowell figured he could steal a win.
"It's been a tough road for me. I've had to spend a lot of years grinding it out,'' McDowell said. His career has been stabilized by four seasons driving for Front Row Motorsports, a tiny team in the Ford family that can hold its own at Daytona.
McDowell was in the mix even before the two Penske cars derailed the finish. His Ford was strong enough to push Keselowski, and McDowell figured with the checkered flag in sight, he would try to pass Keselowski as they exited the final turn.
Daytona 500 ends with massive, last-lap crashPenske Racing teammates Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski are in the middle of a big wreck on the final lap of the Daytona 500, which results in a win for Michael McDowell.
Logano's block of Keselowski -- it seemed late, as Keselowski had already started to pull alongside his teammate -- triggered a fiery, multiple-car pileup that was in McDowell's rearview mirror.
"Brad was turning right, Joey was turning left and I went right through the middle,'' McDowell said. "It's just kind of a blur from there.''
Keselowski subtly blamed Logano for the messy finish.
"I wanted to make the pass to win the Daytona 500, and it ended up really bad,'' Keselowski said. "I don't feel like I made a mistake, but I can't drive everybody else's car. So frustrating.''
Logano had no explanation for the ending.
''Pandemonium, I guess. Chaos struck," said Logano, who then praised McDowell. "It's a real bummer that none of the Penske cars won, but at least a Ford won, and I'm really happy for McDowell.
"If we couldn't win, I'm really happy to see McDowell win this thing.''

Michael McDowell's victory in the Daytona 500 was his first in 358 career Cup Series starts. Jared C. Tilton/Getty ImagesMcDowell, who led less than half of a lap, drag raced Elliott and Austin Dillon, until NASCAR finally called a caution.
A batch of solid contenders were knocked from the race just 15 laps in by a 16-car accident that began at the front of the field. It thinned the pack and set up a showdown between Kevin Harvick and Hamlin.
Hamlin and Harvick had the two best cars, but pit strategy ended Hamlin's shot at winning a record third consecutive Daytona 500. The Ford drivers pitted first as a group, followed by the Chevrolets a lap later and finally the Toyotas.
But the Toyota group has just five cars, and they couldn't group back together to reclaim control of the race. It put Logano, Keselowski and the Ford drivers out front, and Logano led the final 25 laps, until Keselowski made his move.
McDowell held off Elliott and Dillon. Harvick finished fourth, and Hamlin was fifth after leading a race-high 98 laps.
Only 11 cars finished on the lead lap.
Picture

Cooper Webb used speed, timing, and race management to pull in his second win of the 2021 season. Photo Credit: Feld Entertainment, Inc.  ​

Cooper Webb Storms Orlando Supercross and Reclaims 450SX Class Momentum
Jett Lawrence Grabs Second 250SX Class Win

Zach Osborne grabbed the holeshot and had the speed to keep the pack behind him in the 450SX Class Main Event but a big mistake in the whoops allowed three riders to get by as he recovered. Muc-Off Honda's Justin Brayton took over the point position with Ken Roczen right on his rear tire. Roczen was coming off a three-win streak, but that only motivated Cooper Webb more; the KTM rider sat close in third. Just over three minutes into the 20-minute plus one lap race, Webb positioned himself to pass both riders in a single corner. Like that, Webb had the lead with Roczen using the moment to get around Brayton even as he lost a spot to Webb.
 
Opening round winner Troy Lee Designs / Red Bull / GASGAS Factory Racing's Justin Barcia was soon past Brayton also, and the three riders rounded the track nearly in formation just slightly out of range for any of them to make a pass attempt. With just over five minutes left on the race clock Barcia had an incredible save in the whoops. He was thrown from his bike but managed to stay in touch long enough to jump back on without hitting the ground. Osborne took advantage of the mistake to take third spot – in the same section where he'd lost the race lead – and held it to the end despite a constant push from Barcia.
 
2020 defending champion Monster Energy Kawasaki's Eli Tomac had a tough night after a mid-pack start and rounding the first lap in 11th place. Tomac charged hard on the retro-track layout that commemorated the last time the series visited the venue and that event's battle between James Stewart and retiring 5-time champion Ricky Carmichael in his final Monster Energy Supercross race. At the 2021 running of Orlando, Tomac made steady progress forward and reached fifth by the checkered flag. 

JASON BELMONTE WINS SIXTH CAREER CHRIS SCHENKEL PBA PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Picture
Ties Earl Anthony for second-most Player of the Year Awards in PBA history

New York, NY – Australia’s Jason Belmonte was voted the 2020 Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year, announced today by PBA CEO Colie Edison and PBA commissioner Tom Clark on FloBowling. Belmonte received the vast majority of votes from PBA membership and veteran bowling writers, with Bill O’Neill coming in a distant second and Kris Prather third.
This is the second consecutive and sixth career Player of the Year Award for Belmonte, tying PBA Hall of Famer Earl Anthony for the second-most all-time POY awards. Only Walter Ray Williams Jr., with seven, has more.
“Being the Player of the Year is the highest honour a PBA player can have and I’m proud to own that title again,” said Belmonte. “It’s the ultimate reward for a year of dedication and travel and leaving loved ones. To equal the great Earl Anthony with six is amazing and something special to me.”
Belmonte, 37, won two major championships in 2020 to extend his PBA record to 13 career major victories. His win in the U.S. Open made him the second player in history, after Mike Aulby, to complete the Super Slam of all five major titles. In the final event before the COVID-19 pandemic forced a pause to the season, Belmonte won his third consecutive PBA World Championship.
With another groundbreaking year complete, Belmonte has set his goals even higher.
“I have my eyes firmly set on Walter Ray’s record of seven Player of the Year Awards and to continue to build my resume with major and national title wins,” said Belmonte. “More specifically the U.S. Open. Winning that event, a second time will see me holding the Super Slam twice. That would be amazing.”
After nearly seven months at home, Belmonte returned to the United States and won his third PBA Chameleon Championship for his 25th overall career title. Belmonte is now tied for 10th all-time with Hall of Famer Brian Voss. His three titles in 2020 were more than any other player aside from Kyle Troup, who also had three wins.
In the 13 events he entered, Belmonte finished in the top five eight times and led all players in both competition points, average (225.31) and earnings (a career-best $292,800). By qualifying for all four major championship finals telecasts, Belmonte became the first player in PBA history to advance to the championship finals in four majors in a single season for the third time, matching his accomplishments in 2019 and 2013. No other player has done so more than once.
Belmonte was chosen among seven other finalists: Bill O’Neill of Langhorne, Pa.; Kris Prather of Plainfield, Ill.; Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill.; Mo.; Anthony Simonsen of Little Elm, Texas, Sweden’s Jesper Svensson, EJ Tackett of Bluffton, Ind., and Kyle Troup of Taylorsville, N.C.
Other 2020 PBA Tour award winners announced yesterday include Brad Miller, who was voted by his peers as the Steve Nagy Sportsmanship Award winner, and PBA Hall of Famer Danny Wiseman, who earned the Tony Reyes Community Service Award for his dedication and efforts in supporting and growing youth bowling.
Picture

$1 Million PBA Players Championship to Kick off New Season on FOX 
New York, NY – 

​Today, the Professional Bowlers Association announced the PBA Tour will begin its 2021 season with the $1 Million PBA Players Championship tournament starting the weekend of Jan. 15.
The Major event will kick off the long-awaited return of PBA Tour competition with a revolutionary new format and a record-setting $250K first place prize on the line.
For the first-time, the PBA is offering all its members the opportunity to compete for a Major Title by hosting five regional qualifying events that will take place simultaneously at different Bowlero locations around the country – Bowlero Christown in Phoenix, Ariz., AMF Garland Lanes in Garland, Texas, Bowlero Wauwatosa in Milwaukee, Wis., Bowlero West End in Richmond, Va., and AMF University Lanes in Tampa, Fla.
The top five players from each qualifying event will then advance to a series of five televised regional finals, all taking place at Bowlero Jupiter in Jupiter, Fla. beginning on Sunday Jan. 24 through February 14 on Fox Sports’ FS1. The culminating sixth telecast will feature the five regional winners competing in the Championship Finals live on FOX Broadcast Channel, Sunday, Feb. 21 at 12:30 EST.
The tentative TV schedule is as follows. Airtimes TBC and subject to change.
Jan. 24: PBA Players Championship West Region Finals, FS1
Jan. 31: PBA Players Championship Southwest Region Finals, FS1
Feb. 6: PBA Players Championship Central Region Finals, FS1
Feb. 7: PBA Players Championship East Region Finals, FS1
Feb. 14: PBA Players Championship South Region Finals, FS1
Feb. 21: PBA Players Championship Finals, FOX Broadcast Channel
Another highlight to the reinvented Players Championship – the $1 Million total prize fund with BIG prizes on the line for first to fifth place finishers – $250K, $130K, $80K, $60K, and $50K, given out respectively.
“We are thrilled to announce the return of the PBA Tour, launching our 2021 season with the re-imagined PBA Players Championship,” said Colie Edison, CEO of the PBA. “The new format gives our entire membership base an opportunity to safely participate, while competing with the Tour’s elite bowlers for a Major Title and life-changing prize money.”
With a new identity, the PBA Players Championship format will allow players to compete closer to home in regional qualifying locations to mitigate risks brought on by travel during the Covid-19 pandemic. Qualifying locations have been predetermined for players based on their current residence as follows.
  • West: Bowlero Christown, Phoenix, Ariz.
  • Southwest: AMF Garland Lanes, Garland, Texas
  • Central: Bowlero Wauwatosa, Milwaukee, Wis.
  • East: Bowlero West End, Richmond, Va.
  • South: AMF University Lanes, Tampa, Fla.
The National Tour’s Top 75 players in 2020 points, Hall of Fame Recipients, and PBA Title Holders will have priority entry into their region’s PBA Players Championship qualifier from Thursday, Dec. 10 at 10 a.m. CST to Sunday, Dec. 20 at 11:59 p.m. CST.
$1 Million PBA Players Championship to Kick off New Season on FOX
 
New York, NY – Today, the Professional Bowlers Association announced the PBA Tour will begin its 2021 season with the $1 Million PBA Players Championship tournament starting the weekend of Jan. 15.
The Major event will kick off the long-awaited return of PBA Tour competition with a revolutionary new format and a record-setting $250K first place prize on the line.
For the first-time, the PBA is offering all its members the opportunity to compete for a Major Title by hosting five regional qualifying events that will take place simultaneously at different Bowlero locations around the country – Bowlero Christown in Phoenix, Ariz., AMF Garland Lanes in Garland, Texas, Bowlero Wauwatosa in Milwaukee, Wis., Bowlero West End in Richmond, Va., and AMF University Lanes in Tampa, Fla.
The top five players from each qualifying event will then advance to a series of five televised regional finals, all taking place at Bowlero Jupiter in Jupiter, Fla. beginning on Sunday Jan. 24 through February 14 on Fox Sports’ FS1. The culminating sixth telecast will feature the five regional winners competing in the Championship Finals live on FOX Broadcast Channel, Sunday, Feb. 21 at 12:30 EST.
The tentative TV schedule is as follows. Airtimes TBC and subject to change.
Jan. 24: PBA Players Championship West Region Finals, FS1
Jan. 31: PBA Players Championship Southwest Region Finals, FS1
Feb. 6: PBA Players Championship Central Region Finals, FS1
Feb. 7: PBA Players Championship East Region Finals, FS1
Feb. 14: PBA Players Championship South Region Finals, FS1
Feb. 21: PBA Players Championship Finals, FOX Broadcast Channel
Another highlight to the reinvented Players Championship – the $1 Million total prize fund with BIG prizes on the line for first to fifth place finishers – $250K, $130K, $80K, $60K, and $50K, given out respectively.
“We are thrilled to announce the return of the PBA Tour, launching our 2021 season with the re-imagined PBA Players Championship,” said Colie Edison, CEO of the PBA. “The new format gives our entire membership base an opportunity to safely participate, while competing with the Tour’s elite bowlers for a Major Title and life-changing prize money.”
With a new identity, the PBA Players Championship format will allow players to compete closer to home in regional qualifying locations to mitigate risks brought on by travel during the Covid-19 pandemic. Qualifying locations have been predetermined for players based on their current residence as follows.
  • West: Bowlero Christown, Phoenix, Ariz.
  • Southwest: AMF Garland Lanes, Garland, Texas
  • Central: Bowlero Wauwatosa, Milwaukee, Wis.
  • East: Bowlero West End, Richmond, Va.
  • South: AMF University Lanes, Tampa, Fla.
The National Tour’s Top 75 players in 2020 points, Hall of Fame Recipients, and PBA Title Holders will have priority entry into their region’s PBA Players Championship qualifier from Thursday, Dec. 10 at 10 a.m. CST to Sunday, Dec. 20 at 11:59 p.m. CST.

AARON LORINCZ WINS MEN'S SERIES EVENT AT THUNDERBOWL LANES

By Mark Martin- 
Aaron Lorincz of Center Line won the Metro Detroit USBC (MDUSBC) Men's Series event Sunday with a 257-183 victory over Conner Weber of Wayne at
Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park. Lorincz took home the top prize of $500, while Weber settled for $250. Lorincz qualified third in the field of 58, with a four-game total of 835 on
games of 163, 190, 233 and 249. In match play, he beat Christopher Dunson of Ortonville 196-174, Mark Milasinovich of Shelby Township 217-208 and Ryan 
Land of Royal Oak 184-172 to advance to the championship match.
Weber qualified 13th with 769. In match play, he beat Michael Lucente of Warren 213-192, Mark Meinema of Zeeland 213-203 and top seed Ryan Witucki of Hazel Park 213-189 on his way to the finals.
Ryan Land took over the season long cup list with 485 points, closely followed by Stephen Krywy of Sterling Heights (478) and Michael McCleskey

(443) of Southfield. The next event will be triple points at Century Bowl in 
Waterford on April 11.

After the competition Lorincz defeated Women's Series winner Julia Huren of

Westland 246-204 in the Battle of the Series for $100 "cold cash" and bragging rights. This gives the men a 4-3 advantage over the women in this 
extra competition.
Picture

Martin Truex Jr. pulls off first NASCAR Cup Series win at Phoenix Raceway

By Holly Cain
​Martin Truex Jr. overcame an early-race brush with the wall and took the lead on the final restart with 25 laps remaining to earn his first victory of 2021 and first in 31 career starts at Phoenix Raceway.
Truex‘s No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota ultimately held off Joey Logano‘s No. 22 Penske Racing Ford by a convincing 1.698-seconds for the win in the Instacart 500. The 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion Truex took the race lead from the outside on a bold restart move — pulling away in the closing laps of a spirited race that featured 22 lead changes.
Truex, 40, of New Jersey, is now the fifth different winner in as many NASCAR Cup Series races this season joining Michael McDowell, Christopher Bell, William Byron and Kyle Larson who have also earned spots in the playoffs.

“Just an awesome job by everybody, (crew chief) James (Small), all the pit crew guys fixing it, just really solid,” said Truex, who now has 28 career wins. “At the beginning of the race I thought we were going to run 15th or so. Man, I just really can‘t believe it. I‘m kind of speechless.
“This feels pretty amazing. Phoenix has been a tough one for us.
“I wish it was November and I was in the final four,” he added with a smile, referring to the season championship finale at Phoenix Raceway later in the year. “Just so thankful and proud of everyone at JGR, everyone who makes this possible.”

Statistically, Logano‘s Ford was the dominant car on the afternoon, leading a race best 143 of the 312 laps and winning Stage 2 — his first stage win of the year. His Penske teammate Ryan Blaney won Stage 1 (also his first stage victory of 2021) and all three Penske Racing cars finished in the top 10. In all, the Penske trio of Logano, Blaney and Keselowski combined to lead 197 laps — out front 63 percent of the day.
Logano started alongside Truex on the front row for the final restart and mounted a challenge for the lead, but he couldn‘t hold off Truex even with a more favorable inside starting position.
“I was surprised he was able to hang with me on that (final) start,” a disappointed Logano conceded of Truex‘s winning move. “He had a good start, too, but I had a good one on the bottom and I thought might have short-cut it on the dogleg and I thought, boy I might have him cleared. Then we went into that corner still door-to-door and when you‘re door-to-door, the outside car has control.
“I‘m pretty sure even if I beat him even on that start he was still going to hound me and probably get by me. They had the best car. We had a good car for sure, but once they tuned it in toward the second stage, it was the best car on the race track.”
RELATED: Joey Logano says second place ‘hurts’
Truex‘s JGR teammate Denny Hamlin was third, followed by Logano‘s teammate Brad Keselowski and last November‘s Phoenix winner Chase Elliott in fifth.
Kevin Harvick, a nine-time Phoenix winner, was sixth, earning his fourth top-10 finish in the season‘s opening five races. Last week‘s Las Vegas winner Kyle Larson was seventh, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron was eighth followed by JGR driver Christopher Bell and Blaney to round out the top 10.
Even without the victory, it was an impressive showing for the three Hendrick Motorsports cars that rallied to top-10 finishes. Elliott, Larson and Byron all had to start from the rear of the field on Sunday. And the fourth Hendrick car, driven by Alex Bowman, was equally resilient with a 13th place finish despite hitting the wall and bringing out an early race caution flag.
RELATED: Early trouble for Alex Bowman at Phoenix
Larson, in particular put on a lesson in resiliency. He rallied to race among the top 10 — even lead a lap — a third of the way into the race but was sent back to the rear of the lead lap cars twice after that because of pit road speeding violations.
Hamlin, Keselowski and Logano — all still looking for their first 2021 wins — are 1-2-3 in the championship standings with Hamlin holding a 39-point edge over Keselowski as the series heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway for next weekend‘s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Note: The race winning No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of Martin Truex Jr. passed NASCAR‘s post-race technical inspection. The No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet (Kurt Busch), the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (Kyle Busch) and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (William Byron) all had one lug nut safe and secure, while the No. 2 Team Penske Ford (Brad Keselowski) and the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet (Daniel Suarez) had two lug nuts not safe and secure.

Tom Daugherty Wins First Major Title in Guaranteed Rate PBA World Championship Defeats Jakob Butturff in the championship match to win $100,000

Tampa, Fla.—No. 1 seed Tom Daugherty rolled a 263 game in the title match to win the Guaranteed Rate PBA World Championship for his third career PBA Tour title and first major. In the highest scoring match of the stepladder finals, Daugherty and third seed Jakob Butturff combined to roll 18 strikes, 10 of which belonged to Daugherty on the way to a six-pin margin of victory.
      “To shoot 260 to win a major is just awesome,” said Daugherty, whose most recent title came in the 2016 PBA Wolf Open. “I felt a little snake bitten on TV. I knew I needed to keep getting there to give myself more opportunities. Finally, I broke through with one.”
 The first to finish the match, Daugherty needed two strikes and four pins in the 10th frame to shut out Butturff and clinch victory. His first strike was exactly what he wanted to do. The next one, he admits, required luck as he rolled the 2 pin to strike and, after a nine count on the fill ball, ultimately win.
      “You always want to shut your guy out,” said Daugherty. “Getting the first one was key and I threw the best shot I possibly could. I aced it. I lost control of the second one. I realized it was the moment that would make me a major champion and everything started to speed up. It was my worst shot of the match, but I had the right ball in the right part of the lane and I got lucky.”
     Daugherty’s second strike in the 10th frame was his ninth consecutive strike of the match. Butturff bowled a clean game and rolled the back seven strikes in an effort to win his second major, but fell six pins short.
       Tuesday and Wednesday, Daugherty will compete in match play for the PBA Chameleon Championship and PBA Scorpion Championship, giving him two more opportunities to win at the World Series in his native Tampa.
 “I get to bowl in my hometown in one of my favorite centers,” said Daugherty. “I’m going to try to make the most of it.”
 Guaranteed Rate PBA World Championship Final Standings
AMF University Lanes – Tampa, Fla.
Tom Daugherty, earns $100,000

  1. Jakob Butturff, $50,000
  2. EJ Tackett, $35,000
  3. Chris Via, $25,000
  4. Kyle Troup, $20,000
 Match Scores
Match 1 – No. 4 Via def. No. 5 Troup, 210-201
Match 2 – No. 3 Butturff def. No. 4 Via, 249-227
Match 3 – No. 3 Butturff def. No. 2 Tackett, 210-178
Match 4 – No. 1 Daugherty def. No. 3 Butturff, 263-257
Picture

Francois Lavoie beats three two-handers in PBA takedown at KIA Tournament of Champions​ 

      The PBA Tournament of Champions being held near Miami had all the makings of a star-studded field making the finals, but started off curiously. Sean Rash, one of the top players on Tour today, literally could not find the pocket against Francois Lovoie striking on the Brooklyn side multiple times. Francois also had his struggles stringing strikes together, but his 3 bagger from frames five through seven dusted the wayward Rash.  PBA Hall of Famer and current color commentator Randy Pederson said Rash got ball reaction like his shot had a runny nose. I agree with Pederson as Rash’s hitting power was weak and off the mark. 
It is refreshing watching the classic bowling Lovoie roll like the PBA pros of the past. His ball rotation is supurb although his release is sketchy. Worked against Rash.
Jesper Svensson is one of the great talents on the current PBA Tour and this lefty has the highest rev rate on tour and with a clean left side to work with, this powerful lefty was poised to roll through the field.
     Lavoie found out what Rash tried to avoid in game two. The oil pattern was tricky and either left right handers throwing through the nose or washing out and his opening frame six pin split left him wondering if he could find the mark. His 5th frame late knockout of a pesky nine pin gave him his first double which he extended to five consecutive strikes. Svensson used a tv break to talk to his Storm ball rep and the rep told him to “stop thinking so much and roll the ball.” Well, it worked.
Lavoie, not to be outdone, finished with eight strikes in nine frames while Svensson left a split in the tenth and concluded his day with a 236-201 loss.
Jason Belmonte’s record in PBA majors is unquestioned in today’s PBA. This two-hander has made every top five since 2012 save one (7th in 2017). He has the ability to pound the pocket from anywhere on the lanes and his string of strikes ( a double) in frames three and four opened the match except Belmo could not convert a 3-10 split in frame five and Lavoie saw an open door. His major 1-2-3-6-10 washout left three pins on his spare attempt. But Belmonte could never get it going. He never doubled the rest of the match and Lavoie dug deep.
Anthony Simonsen finished 5th last week and this week did not look much better as he opened in the third with the 8-10 split. Lavoie looked to dust off the field with his third major title. For Simonsen, he played second arrow and it di not work for him. He played a change of the 5th arrow and plenty of loft and it made all the world of difference for him. His 8th frame 3-4-6-8-9-10 count and chop left him a second-place finish. Lavoie beat three two hand bowlers in a row at their own games. When a player can bowl methodical and take out Rash, Belmonte and Simonsen, it shows classic bowlers can still bring it home. His third major title gives him a chance at the super slam after the major season is over and nets him 100k. 
Kia PBA Tournament of Champions Final Standings
Bowlero Jupiter – Jupiter, Fla.
 1. François Lavoie, earns $100,000
2.Anthony Simonsen, $60,000
3.Jason Belmonte, $45,000
4. Jesper Svensson, $40,000
5. Sean Rash, $35,000 Match Scores
Match 1 – No. 5 Lavoie def. No. 4 Rash, 225-209
Match 2 – No. 5 Lavoie def. No. 3 Svensson, 236-201
Match 3 – No. 5 Lavoie def. No. 2 Belmonte, 220-194
Match 4 – No. 5 Lavoie def. No. 1 Simonsen, 233-187

KYLE TROUP WINS PBA PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP FOR FIRST CAREER MAJOR TITLE 

Picture
Defeats Dick Allen in the championship match to win $250,000

Jupiter, Fla.--Top seed Kyle Troup bowled a 257 game to win the PBA Players Championship for his first career major title, defeating third seed Dick Allen in the championship match. Troup’s seventh overall PBA Tour title earned him a PBA record-tying $250,000 first-place prize.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” said Troup. “Hard work pays off. I felt very confident in my ball reaction and the angle I was playing. I didn’t really feel nervous at all. I stayed focused and the pressure and the nerves kind of went away.”
Like Troup, Allen was also seeking his first career major title. Allen defeated Tom Smallwood and François Lavoie to get to the championship match, then took an early lead over Troup.
“I had two misses in the first four frames,” said Troup. “There can be some thoughts going through my head like, oh no, what’s going on here? But I just told myself to keep my mind forward and my eyes forward. Keep working, keep pushing, believe in yourself.”
When Allen left a 10-pin in the seventh frame, giving Troup a one-pin advantage, Troup knew the outcome was in his hands.
“I try not to pay attention to the score and just make the best shot I can make,” said Troup. “But I knew once I had that advantage and I could strike out to win, the only thing I was thinking was you don’t hope to win, you expect to win. I expected Dick Allen to strike out and force me to strike out, so I was expecting to have to throw all of them.”
In the ninth frame, Allen left a 7-10 split, easing the burden on Troup. Troup struck in his half of the ninth, then clinched the title with a strike in the 10th frame.
Troup was the top seed throughout every round of the PBA Players Championship. He led all East Region qualifiers through 28 games of qualifying to earn the top seed in the East Region Finals, in which he defeated Michael Davidson to advance to the PBA Players Championship Finals. Then, he led the three-game, total-pinfall seeding round held last night, rolling a 741 series to clinch a spot in the title match.
“After I won the region, I went home and relaxed for a couple days,” said Troup. “Then it was time to buckle down. Keep competing. Keep practicing. A lot of self-talk and self-belief. I knew I had to go to work to take this next step in my career.”
By earning his seventh career title and first major, Troup also qualifies for the first spot in the PBA Super Slam, which will feature all five 2021 major winners and air April 18 on FOX Broadcast Channel.
PBA PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL STANDINGSBowlero Jupiter – Jupiter, Fla.
  1. Kyle Troup, earns $250,000
  2. Dick Allen, $130,000
  3. François Lavoie, $80,000
  4. Tom Smallwood, $60,000
  5. Anthony Simonsen, $50,000
MATCH SCORESMatch 1 – No. 4 Smallwood def. No. 5 Simonsen, 278-225
Match 2 – No. 3 Allen def. No. 4 Smallwood, 216-195
Match 3 – No. 3 Allen def. No. 2 Lavoie, 244-227
Match 4 – No. 1 Troup def. No. 3 Allen, 257-212
Picture

GLENN PILON WINS $2,000 FIRST PRIZE IN MDUSBC SENIOR MASTERS AT MAYFLOWER LANES

Glenn Pilon of Trenton beat Larry Walker of Garden City in the finals 447-404 to win the Metro Detroit USBC (MDUSBC) Senior Masters title at Mayflower Lanes in Redford and take home the top prize of $2,000. Walker settled for the runner-up check of $1,000.


Pilon, the 2015 MDUSBC Senior Masters champion, qualified fourth with a six-game total of 1,363 including a high game of 279. He remained in the winner’s bracket with triumphs over Eric Tulley of Brighton 425-398, Gerald Johnson of Taylor 516-342, Richard Wayne of Westland 434-412 and Bo Goergen of Sanford 444-387 as he waited for Walker to emerge from the loser’s bracket. He averaged 226.8 for 16 games of competition.
Walker, the 2009 MDUSBC Senior Masters champion, qualified 15th with 1,298 and a high game of 267. He won his first match over Frank Camilleri of Brownstown 488-468 before falling to Goergen 418-407 to set up a long way back to the final match. In the loser’s bracket he beat Ken Wyatt of Sterling Heights 470-418, defending champion Robert Sloma of Jenison 430-361, top qualifier Gary Duarard Jr of Livonia 383-312, Harold Sullins of Chesterfield 450-368, Jeffrey Austreng of Waterford Township 500-395, Michael Lucente of Warren 452-425 and avenged the earlier loss to Goergen 484-406 to advance to the championship match. He averaged 221.8 for 26 games.
Goergen qualified second with 1,371. He remained in the winner’s bracket with victories over Walker 418-407, John Langston of Plymouth 382-354, Austreng 451-390 before losing to Pilon 444-387. He then lost to Walker 484-406 to end his day. He took home $750 for his third place finish, averaging 213.4
Lucente finished fourth for $500 after qualifying sixth with 1,341. In match play, he won his first match against Stephen Krywy of Sterling Heights 438-430 before falling into the loser’s bracket with a loss to Austreng 436-353. Once in the loser’s bracket he beat Tulley 384-353, Langston 363-306, Wayne 379-369 before losing to Walker 452-425. He averaged 204.6 for 16 games.
Austreng finished fifth for $400 and averaged 214.7. Wayne finished sixth for $400 and averaged 213.3. Sullins ended up seventh for $350, averaging 207.2 and Langston took home $350 for his eighth-place finish, averaging 201.1.
Jeffrey Suma Sr. of Clarkston won the Super Senior competition for non-qualifiers 60 years of age and older. He defeated Larry Wilson of Detroit 253-187 for the title. Suma won $200 for his efforts and Wilson walked away with a check for $175.
Defending champion Robert Sloma finished 14th, cashing for $275 and averaging 211.7.
The entire field averaged 196.3 in qualifying with the top 24 averaging 219.4. The match play average was 203.

DICK ALLEN AVERAGES 270 TO WIN SOUTH REGION AND ADVANCE TO PBA PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

Picture
​The #5 seed won all four matches to earn the last berth in the PBA Players Championship Finals

Jupiter, Fla.--Fifth seed Dick Allen climbed the stepladder and defeated #1 seed Jesper Svensson in the final match to win the South Region Finals. With four victories and a 270 average, Allen became the first and only player to advance to the PBA Players Championship Finals from anywhere other than the top seed.
While Allen averaged 270, his opponents averaged 258. Every match led to Allen needing a clutch performance in the 10th frame to secure victory.
“This is what we’re out here to do,” said Allen of bowling under pressure. “This is why we play the game. You have to control the heart rate, the blood rushing through the veins, the emotions. You get the job done and then you can celebrate. To be able to do that on this stage just feels good.”
With a strike and spare to finish the opening match, Allen defeated Tom Daugherty, who started his game with the front eight, by a single pin. Allen then doubled in the 10th to get past Ryan Ciminelli by five pins. Needing a strike and six pins to win the semifinal match against Cristian Azcona, Allen rolled all three strikes for the win. In the final match, Allen needed to fill 17 pins in the 10th to defeat Jesper Svensson, then filled 28 to win the South Region.
“I knew the lanes were going to be high-scoring,” said Allen. “I just did whatever I could. As the middle started to hook and the back ends started to hook some more, my point of origin stayed the same but the destination down lane changed. I tried to keep moving my eyes left, keep my speed up and stay aggressive.”
Allen, who owns seven PBA Tour titles and will be looking to win his first major, joins Anthony Simonsen (West), François Lavoie (Southwest), Tom Smallwood (Central) and Kyle Troup (East) in next week’s PBA Players Championship Finals, when the five players will compete for a top prize of $250,000.
“I’m going to try to stay in every match and hope I get a chance to step up in the 10th and do what I like to do,” said Allen.
The PBA Players Championship Finals will air live on FOX Broadcast Channel Feb. 21.
SOUTH REGION STEPLADDER FINALS RESULTSBowlero Jupiter – Jupiter, Fla.
  1. Dick Allen, advances to PBA Players Championship Finals
  2. Jesper Svensson, earns $15,000
  3. Cristian Azcona, $13,000
  4. Ryan Ciminelli, $11,000
  5. Tom Daugherty, $10,000
Picture

KYLE TROUP ADVANCES TO PBA PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS, CHRIS VIA BOWLS 300
FEBRUARY 7, 2021 JEF GOODGER

​Jupiter, Fla.--Kyle Troup continued the trend of the top seeds winning each region, defeating Michael Davidson to win the East Region and move into the PBA Players Championship Finals. In the opening match on the telecast, Chris Via rolled the 30th televised perfect game in the history of PBA title events.
“This was the next step in winning my first major,” said Troup, a six-time PBA Tour champion. “My goal was to get to Jupiter, then come here and conquer this tournament. I did so. Now I’m going to go home and work even harder. It doesn’t stop here.”
Following an errant shot in the first frame that Troup blamed on a mental lapse, he rattled off the next seven strikes to build a commanding lead over Davidson, who was making his first TV finals appearance.
“After that first frame, I did a lot of self-talking,” said Troup. “Telling myself to stay in it, stay present, don’t worry about (Davidson’s) ball reaction. He had a little bit of room, but I wanted to stay focused on myself and the shots I was making.”
Davidson, the third seed, defeated Via and Brandon Novak to earn his way into the final match.
Seeded fourth, Via achieved perfection against Tim Foy Jr., who was making his TV finals debut. Foy qualified sixth but stepped in as the alternate when Bill O’Neill withdrew himself per COVID-19 protocol.
In the next match, Via rolled the first five strikes against Davidson before leaving a 4 pin in the sixth frame. Via’s 17 strikes in a row fell one short of the PBA record for most consecutive strikes on a PBA telecast; Pete Weber rolled 18 in a row in 2001 and Ryan Shafer tied the mark in 2007. Via earned an additional $10,000 for the 300 game.
Troup is the fourth player to advance to the PBA Players Championship Finals—joining Anthony Simonsen (West), François Lavoie (Southwest) and Tom Smallwood (Central)—and the first of the four who hasn’t won a major title. Simonsen, Lavoie and Smallwood each own two major championships.
“It feels good that my hard work has paid off, but it’s going to take every bit of physical and mental ability to beat the guys on the show,” said Troup. “Self-belief goes a long way and I believe that I can win.”
Troup, Simonsen, Lavoie and Smallwood will be joined by next week’s winner of the South Region to compete in the PBA Players Championship Finals for a major championship title and a top prize of $250,000.
The PBA Players Championship Finals will air live on FOX Broadcast Channel Feb. 21.

Cooper Webb Grabs Thrilling 450SX Class Win in Texas
Colt Nichols Nabs 250SX Class Win

Picture
Houston, Texas, (January 23, 2021) Round three of the 2021 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, finished its triple-header inside NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas and delivered the third winner in as many rounds. Red Bull KTM's Cooper Webb made a last lap pass to capture the 450SX Class win in front of 9,115 limited-attendance, pod-style seated, enthusiastic fans. Team Honda HRC's Ken Roczen was on Webb's rear tire at the end for second and Monster Energy Kawasaki's Adam Cianciarulo brought home his first podium in 2021. The Eastern Regional 250SX Class also delivered its third winner in three rounds when Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha's Colt Nichols fought past his teammate to grab his first win in two years. The event kicked off the sport's fourth year of partnership with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital with a new 'text to donate' campaign.  
Cooper Webb took his first win of 2021 with a thrilling last lap pass. It marked KTM's 50th Monster Energy Supercross Main Event win. Photo Credit: Feld Entertainment, Inc.  

Webb led at the 450SX Class Main Event holeshot line but Team Honda HRC's Ken Roczen hung close then moved past him two minutes into the 20-minute plus one lap race. Adam Cianciarulo settled into third with season-opener winner Troy Lee Designs / Red Bull / GASGAS Factory Racing's Justin Barcia close behind. Defending champ Monster Energy Kawasaki's Eli Tomac was off to a mid-pack start and moved up through the field steadily.

Barcia was the fastest rider on the track, but a crash in the sand section after the midpoint of the race ended his chances of a podium finish. Roczen pulled, what appeared as, a comfortable lead of over three seconds late in the race, but Webb started his charge and moved his KTM up to the Honda rider's rear wheel in the closing laps. Webb benefitted when a lapper flustered Roczen on the final lap; Webb took advantage and tucked inside a 180-degree corner, cut across the ruts, and sealed his spot in the lead. 

The win was the twelfth for Cooper Webb and the 50th Monster Energy Supercross Main Event win for KTM; an impressive milestone with their first win coming in 2012. The second place finish pushed Ken Roczen into the points lead, only one point ahead of both Webb and Barcia.

Detroit Lions News: 3 Holiday wishes heading into 2021

Picture
by Bob Heyrman of Fan Side Daily
​The year 2020 has been taxing in general, to say the least, but for the Detroit Lions, it’s been yet another lost year. It’s been another underwhelming season for the organization, marking the third in a row.  These past three seasons have a couple of things in common: Matthew Stafford at quarterback and Matt Patricia as the head coach.
With the franchise ridding themselves of a toxic Patricia, Stafford’s future in Detroit remains in limbo.
As we head through the holiday season, here are three wishes surrounding the Detroit Lions.
Hiring a proven general manager.Detroit Lions primary owner Sheila Ford Hamp mentioned the organization would prefer their next general manager to have experience in the role.  That being said, the Detroit Lions have interviewed candidates both internally and externally, headlined by ESPN analyst Louis Riddick without any previous managerial experience.
Before hiring former Lions linebacker Chris Spielman to an advisory role, he’d been asked if he would have any interest in interviewing for the vacant general manager’s position.  Yet, another potential candidate without any managerial experience, Spielman opted to decline, saying he’d be better suited in an advisory role for the time being but would be willing to learn and groomed for a potential opportunity down the road, whether it’s in Detroit or elsewhere.  Spielman’s brother Rick has been the Minnesota Vikings general manager from 2012 to the present day.
Ford Hamp and team president Rod Wood said they’d be doing an extensive search that could last upwards of six weeks exhausting all options before making a hire.  They’ve stood true to their word on this front.
Over the last few days, the Detroit Lions started to interview managerial candidates with experience, including Rick Smith, Thomas Dimitroff, and Scott Pioli.
It seems at this time, Dimitroff is the early favorite. The former Atlanta Falcons boss did assemble a Super Bowl-bound Atlanta roster that would fall hard in historic fashion to the New England Patriots after leading 28-3 at the half in 2017.  That epic collapse is not on the GM, but ultimately on head coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.
While Shanahan led the 49ers to the Super Bowl last season only to find himself again on the wrong side of the result despite leading in the fourth quarter, both Quinn and Dimitroff were let-go after a lackluster 0-5 start to the 2020 season.
I’ve stated in the past that Rick Smith would be a tremendous hire after knowing his rich early-round draft history during his Houston Texans days.  Smith landed J.J. Watt, DeShaun Watson, Jadeveon Clowney, and DeAndre Hopkins.
Pioli spent four years as the Kansas City Cheifs GM, but his track record is less than impressive.  The former KC GM will be most remembered for turning the keys over to Matt Cassel on offense and Todd Haley as the team’s head coach.  Both didn’t work out so well.  Pioli did draft star safety Eric Berry though.
2. A ‘players’ head coach.The Detroit Lions need to try and right the ship in a big way.  The franchise hired a drill sergeant in Matt Patricia after dismissing a players-type coach in Jim Caldwell.  Caldwell had been released after producing back-to-back 9-7 seasons in favor of the New England cast away.
Maybe Caldwell would not have been able to lead the Detroit Lions to the promised land, but he was a head coach players’ would go to war for, something that can’t be said about Patricia.  Not only did Patricia’s toxic energy and attitude destroy the Lions’ locker room, it clearly stunt-the-growth of the entire organization.
The Detroit Lions need to build a new culture, and it starts from the top.  Detroit will have an opportunity to land one of the leagues’ top assistants, and first on the list should be Dearborn’s own Robert Saleh.
Saleh is becoming a defensive genius.  He’s somehow maintained a top-ten defense despite not having the 49ers’ top players at his disposal, including one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL in Nick Bosa.
In San Francisco’s Super Bowl run last season, with Bosa, DeForest Buckner, Arik Armstead, Dee Ford, Solomon Thomas, all healthy, Saleh let his front four generate pressure without blitzing.  The 49ers created the leagues’ most pressure, rarely blitzing.
During the 2020 season, it’s been the opposite; Saleh has been forced to call a defense minus everyone mentioned above at various times understanding Buckner had been traded this past offseason.  The others have all missed significant time this season, along with Tartt and Sherman, forcing Saleh to blitz nearly 35% of the time, which ranks near the top in the league to generate pressure, all the while maintaining an NFL top-ten defense.
The often energetic Saleh would be a great hire for the Detroit Lions.  Other options to follow are Cheifs OC, Eric Bieniemy, and Panthers OC Joe Brady.
3. A clear-cut decision regarding Matthew Stafford.As the Detroit Lions near yet another regime change, quarterback Matthew Stafford’s future remains in limbo.
Will the next Lions general manager, head coach decide to retain the soon to be 33-year old quarterback or decide to go in a different direction hoping to build around a rookie quarterback?  There are certainly benefits from drafting a young quarterback on a rookie salary.
There are plenty of examples throughout the league—the most obvious being Patrick Mahomes.  After sitting one season behind Alex Smith, the Chiefs took off with Mahomes under center. Being on a rookie deal allowed the organization to surround their young quarterback with a plethora of weapons.
Sure, Mahomes’ record-breaking contract extension kicks in after this season, forcing the team to cut corners elsewhere.
Another example is Kyler Murray in Arizona.  The Cardinals drafted the talented dual-threat quarterback first overall, and he’s stepped right in and excelled in his second season at the helm.  Having Murray on a rookie deal allowed the organization to fleece the Houston Texans in acquiring the leagues’ best receiver in DeAndre Hopkins.
It always can go South; look no further than the Washington Football Team and Dwayne Haskins.  That is what makes moving on from the franchise’s all-time top quarterback so difficult.
There are benefits from deciding to move on from Stafford when it comes to the salary cap.  I am a fan of Stafford, and I also feel the organization owes it to him if he felt like he wanted to move on to a contender seeking a quarterback like Indianapolis, or perhaps the San Francisco 49ers.

NWHL 2021 Season to Feature an All-Female USA Hockey Officiating Staff
Effort is a milestone for pro hockey

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – With the help and guidance from USA Hockey, the NWHL’s upcoming season will have an all-female officiating staff. The league’s regular-season contests as well as the 2021 Isobel Cup Playoffs will be staged at the iconic Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, N.Y., from Jan. 23–Feb. 5, 2021.
The 10 officials selected to the NWHL officiating staff include Sarah Buckner (Crystal, Minn.), Erika Greenen (Romeoville, Ill.), Kendall Hanley (Minneapolis, Minn.), Alicia Hanrahan (St. Paul, Minn.), Jacqueline Howard (Gaithersburg, Md.), Jamie Huntley-Park (Escondido, Cali.), Jackie Spresser (Thornton, Colo.), Amanda Tassoni (Bradford, R.I.), Mackenzie Welter (Rome, N.Y.), and Laura White (Runnemede, N.J.).
“We’re appreciative of the partnership that has been formed with the NWHL in an effort to promote and develop our female officials,” said Matt Leaf, director of USA Hockey’s officiating education program. “The officials that have been selected are highly skilled, motivated and team-oriented officials who are up for the challenges that will be critical to the success of the NWHL season.
“They are the brightest and best of our current and future top-level female officials who bring a balance of experience, versatility, loyalty and an unmatched skill and a passion to be the best they can be each time they step on the ice.”
The participation of this officiating crew in the NWHL’s season is a milestone for pro hockey. While the league has had all-female officiating crews work games before, there has never been an all-female officiating initiative of this scale.
“I am thrilled with the officiating staff that we have assembled for the NWHL’s sixth season,” said Michelle Picard, deputy commissioner of the NWHL, who has previously played on U.S. Olympic and Women’s National Teams. “In working with Matt Leaf and USA Hockey, we've identified 10 of the most highly qualified officials from across the country. We are looking forward to having this group's expertise, enthusiasm, and professionalism in Lake Placid.”
Picture

​Timing on Jones announcement stings, but a new opportunity might be best

Picture
​CHICAGO, Ill. – Big Ten Champions Week on Big Ten Network kicks off tomorrow and features four games, including two rivalry matchups, three days of All-Big Ten award announcements and three hours of coverage on Wednesday as football’s early signing period commences.
 
Between noon and 12:15 p.m. ET Tuesday through Thursday via the Big Ten Network’s Twitter account, the 2020 All-Big Ten team and individual awards will be unveiled. The accolades will also available on Big Ten Network’s Facebook and Instagram channels as well as a press release from the Big Ten Conference.

  • Tuesday (12/15): All-Big Ten Offensive selections and individual awards will be announced, including the Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year, Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year, Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year, Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year, Richter-Howard Receiver of the Year and Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year. The Thompson-Randle El Freshman of the Year will be announced on either Tuesday or Wednesday depending on the position of the honoree.
  •  Wednesday (12/16): All-Big Ten Defensive selections and individual awards will be announced, including the Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year, Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year, Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year and Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year.  
  • Thursday (12/17): All-Big Ten Special Teams, Head Coach selections and individual awards will be announced, including the Bakken-Anderson Kicker of the Year, Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year, Rodgers-along with the Dwight Return Specialist of the Year, Hayes-Schembechler (coaches vote) Coach of the Year and Dave McClain (media vote) Coach of the Year. The Dungy-Thompson Humanitarian Award, Ford-Kinnick Leadership Award and Sportsmanship Honorees will also be unveiled on Thursday.
 
On Wednesday, the Big Ten Network will host three hours of live recruiting coverage with B1G Live: Signing Day Special from 2 p.m. ET to 5 p.m. ET. Mike Hall, Gerry DiNardo, Howard Griffith and Allen Trieu, Midwest Football Recruiting Analyst for 247 Sports, will examine the incoming classes at all 14 Big Ten schools in addition to interviews with Tom Allen, Jeff Brohm, Paul Chryst, P.J. Fleck, Scott Frost, Michael Locksley, Mel Tucker, Greg Schiano and more.

According to 247Sports composite team rankings, the Big Ten currently has seven of the top 25 recruiting classes in the country, led by No. 2 Ohio State, No. 9 Michigan, No. 16 Wisconsin, No. 20 Penn State, No. 21 Iowa, No. 22 Nebraska and No. 25 Maryland.

The week concludes with four games on Big Ten Network, including battles for Paul Bunyan’s Axe and the Old Oaken Bucket. On Friday, Nebraska visits Rutgers at 4 p.m. ET, followed by in-state rivals Purdue and Indiana kicking off at 7:30 p.m. ET. Saturday morning begins with a second rivalry game as Minnesota visits Wisconsin at 4 p.m. ET, before Michigan State takes on Maryland at 7:30 p.m. ET.
 
Also on Saturday, the 2020 Big Ten Football Championship Game presented by Discover headlines FOX College Football’s Big Noon Kickoff. In a rematch from 2018’s conference championship game, Ohio State will take on Northwestern at Noon ET in Lucas Oil Stadium.
 

JULIA HUREN WINS MDUSBC QUEENS AT THUNDERBOWL

Picture
Julia Huren of Westland defeated Robin Orlikowski of Grand Rapids 225-192 in the final match to win the MDUSBC Queens at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park.

Huren had lost to Orlikowski 219-205 to force a final and deciding match. Huren won the title and $1,000, while Orlikowski settled for $500.

Huren qualified second with a six-game total of 1,376 on games of 189, 236, 279, 248, 190 and 234. In match play she beat Sheri Verespej of Newport226-201, Lauren Krywy of Sterling Heights 233-180 and Orlikowski the first time 248-236. She then had to wait for a challenger to emerge from the loser's bracket in the double-elimination format. She averaged 228.5 for 11 
games of competition.

Orlikowski, the 2017 MDUSBC Queens champion, qualified fourth with 1,332 with a high game of 244. In match play she beat Nicole Harrison of Clinton Township 225-220, top qualifier Brandie Reamy of Livonia 234-204, before falling to Huren the first time 248-236. In the loser's bracket she beat

Harrison the second time 259-234 to advance to the championship match. She averaged 224.7 for 12 games.

Harrison finished third for $300 and Verespej fourth for $200.
Reamy shot 300 in her first match win over Madalyn Klein of Whitmore Lake and settled for $175.

The entire 30 person qualifying field averaged 201.3.

LATE TD PASS, KEY DEFENSIVE PLAYS HELP TOLEDO DEFEAT CENTRAL MICHIGAN, 24-23, IN SEASON FINALE

Picture
TOLEDO, Ohio - Sophomore quarterback Carter Bradley threaded the CMU defense to hit redshirt freshman wide receiver Jerjuan Newton for a game-winning 28-yard TD pass to give Toledo a 24-23 victory over Central Michigan at the Glass Bowl on Saturday.
Despite trailing for much of the second half, the Rockets saved their best for last in the season finale. Bradley's clutch TD toss with 1:31 to go put his team up by one, then junior defensive end Terrance Taylor stopped the Chippewas' final drive with a strip sack on their final offensive drive. Junior running back Bryant Koback then ran for a first down on third-and-17 to clinch the victory.
"Really happy for our football team and the way they were able to persevere down the stretch," head coach Jason Candle said. "I'm really proud of our guys. I'm happy to get a win today against a good football team on a windy day. Our guys really answered the bell today, even if it wasn't pretty at times."

Toledo (4-2, 4-2 MAC) was able to overcome a Central Michigan (3-3, 3-3 MAC) defense that forced four UT turnovers and recorded six sacks on the afternoon. The victory clinched a share of second place in the MAC West Division with Western Michigan.

Bradley completed 18-of-33 passes for 265 yards and three touchdowns. Koback added 123 yards on the ground, the seventh 100-yard performance of his career and second of the season. He also led the team with five receptions for 44 yards and a TD, while Newton and junior wide receiver Isaiah Winstead both caught touchdowns as well. On the defensive side, junior linebacker Dyontae Johnson led the team with 10 tackles and junior defensive end Desjuan Johnson added eight stops with 2.5 tackles for loss.

First Quarter 
Central Michigan opened the contest with an eight-play, 75-yard drive that ended with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Kobe Lewis to Kalil Pimpleton. Lewis lined up in the wildcat and faked a run before fading back and hitting Pimpleton in the end zone. Toledo tied it up on a 15-yard TD reception by Bryant Koback from Carter Bradley that capped a 45-yard drive. Later in the quarter, Thomas Cluckey converted a 24-yard field goal to give Toledo a 10-7 lead.
Second Quarter 
CMU tied the contest at 10-10 on a 23-yard field goal by Marshall Meeder early in the quarter. The score remained deadlocked until Bradley hit Isaiah Winstead for a 13-yard TD completion with 27 seconds left in the half.
Third Quarter 
The Chippewas tied the score on their first play from scrimmage in the second half, a 68-yard TD run by Lew Nichols. Later in the quarter, CMU took a 20-17 lead on a career-long, wind-aided 53-yard field goal by Meeder. Following an interception, Meeder connected again, this time from 47 yards to push the CMU lead to 23-17.

Fourth Quarter
The Rocket defense held Central Michigan in check long enough to put together an 11-play, 83-yard scoring drive to take a 24-23 lead. Facing a third-and-22, Bradley perfectly placed a 28-yard TD pass into the hands of Jerjuan Newton to put Toledo ahead with 1:33 to play. On the ensuing CMU drive, Terrance Taylor's strip sack of quarterback Ty Brock gave Toledo the ball back with just over a minute to play. The Rockets were able to run out the final 71 seconds to put away the Chippewas. Bryant Koback sealed the win with a 27-yard run on third-and-17 in the waning seconds.

​Lions hot prospect coach is local

Picture
The Detroit Lions should bring home Robert Saleh to be their next head coach.by Bob Heyrman- Detroit Jock City
It’s a Detroit Lions franchise that is desperately seeking a new identity.  What better way for Shelia Ford Hamp and Rod Wood to hit the reset button by bringing in a highly motivated, eager, highly regarded defensive coordinator, Robert Saleh to be the teams’ next head coach.
Over the last year, I’ve lobbied for the organization to hire an offensive-minded head coach after the disaster we’ve seen from Matt Patricia.  I’ve shifted my thought process watching how well the San Francisco 49ers defense has performed in 2020, considering all of the pieces they’ve been forced to play without.  Oh, and it doesn’t hurt knowing Saleh is a hometown guy, having grown up in Dearborn, Michigan.
The 41-year old DC started his coaching career as an assistant with Michigan State, then moving on to Central Michigan and Georgia before heading to the Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks.  After cutting his teeth as an assistant in various capacities, Saleh finally received an opportunity to be a lead positional coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars coaching the linebackers.  That success landed him a DC job with the 49ers, coaching on Kyle Shanahan’s staff.
After enjoying tremendous success, Saleh interviewed last season for the Cleveland Browns job as the 49ers were heading to another Super Bowl appearance, but the job eventually went to Kevin Stefanski, who previously called the Minnesota Vikings offense.
The 49ers have struggled in 2020 to gear up for another title run, mostly due to a plethora of injuries scattered throughout their roster.  The 49ers have not only been playing without their starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo on offense, but they’ve also been forced to start their fourth and fifth running backs and wide receivers multiple times.
On the defensive side of the ball, Saleh’s been required to operate without super-star defensive end Nick Bosa, plus Richard Sherman, Arik Armstead, Dee Ford, Ronald Blair, Solomon Thomas, Jaquiski Tartt, and Ziggy Ansah.
Oh, and don’t forget the 49ers opted to trade away one of the league’s top interior defenders in DeForest Buckner this past offseason knowing they’d be tight against the salary cap.
With all that said, the 49ers are still producing a top-five defense in 2020 (Before Monday night’s game).  The 49ers rank 10th defending the run plus ranking fourth against the pass.
A lot of this success is due to Saleh’s ability to scheme an efficient game plan with the resources he’s been given week after week.
During the 2019 season with a healthy group, the 49ers had been able to generate pressure without blitzing.  Buckner, Bosa, and company had the ability to make things happen with their raw talent allowing the 49ers to drop into coverage.
Per Pro Football Reference, in 2019, the 49ers defense created the most pressure, 14.7% blitzing the fourth-least, 20.9% of the time.  For the record, in the same season, the Detroit Lions blitzed the third-fewest times, just 18% of the teams’ defensive snaps, creating pressure just 8% of the time, ninth-worst across the league.
Fast forward to 2020.
The 49ers are blitzing a whopping 33.2% of the time, the tenth MOST in the NFL, creating the third MOST pressure at 11.6% of the time.  Think about that for a second, knowing they’ve been operating as a top-five overall defense with all of the players they have missing.
Robert Saleh has done a tremendous job changing his overall philosophy, adapting to the players at his disposal.  He’s exactly what the Detroit Lions need to turn their atrocious defense around.  If he opted to retain Darrell Bevell for another year to be his offensive coordinator while he focuses on repairing the defense; I’d be all for it.

2020 PBA TOUR PLAYER AWARDS FINALIST NOMINEES SELECTED

Picture
 By- DDZIOMBA -PBA Tour.com
Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year, Steve Nagy Sportsmanship and Tony Reyes PBA Community Service Honors to be Announced on Dec. 18New York, NY – In what was one of the most challenging and unprecedented years in the history of the PBA, the Tour’s brightest stars showed up to compete on and off the lanes.
For 2020, these stars will be honored in three categories – Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year, Steve Nagy Sportsmanship Award, and the Tony Reyes Community Service Award.
Player of the Year honors will award the Tour’s top player, the Nagy Sportsmanship Award will be given out to the player who has shown exemplary sportsmanship, and the Reyes Award will recognize a PBA member who has done extraordinary community service and/or charitable contributions in the calendar year.
There will be no Harry Golden Rookie of the Year for 2020 due to the complications created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Rookie players will be eligible for the award in 2021.
Player of the Year nominees consist of the top eight earners in the 2020 season. Candidates in alphabetical order: are, Australia’s Jason Belmonte; Bill O’Neill of Langhorne, Pa.; Kris Prather of Plainfield, Ill.; Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill.; Mo.; Anthony Simonsen of Little Elm, Texas, Sweden’s Jesper Svensson, EJ Tackett of Bluffton, Ind., and Kyle Troup of Taylorsville, N.C.
The PBA Player of the Year will be selected by a panel of veteran bowling writers and the entire PBA membership. The Nagy Sportsmanship Award winner is selected by PBA Tour players who have bowled in at least half of the current season’s tournaments. The Reyes Award recipient is selected by a special panel of PBA leaders.
The annual awards will be announced by PBA CEO Colie Edison and PBA Commissioner Tom Clark during a special presentation awards show on Dec. 18. More details to be announced at a later date.
Last year’s winners of the PBA’s four prestigious awards were Jason Belmonte, Player of the Year; Mykel Holliman, Rookie of the Year; Martin Larsen, Nagy Sportsmanship Award, and Chuck Gardner, Tony Reyes Community Service Award.

FINAL: Ohio State cruises to a 52-12 victory over Michigan State

Picture
Elijah McKown- The State News
Fresh off a huge win over Big Ten West leader Northwestern, Michigan State looked like a team with hope. As Ohio State came into East Lansing shorthanded with four starters, and 23 total players, some thought the Spartans could have a chance.
That couldn’t be further from the truth as Justin Fields and the Ohio State Buckeyes thrashed Michigan State, 52-12 Saturday afternoon at Spartan Stadium.
Fields, OSU's all-important quarterback, got things going early for the Buckeyes on their first drive after holding Michigan State for a three and out to begin the game. Right after Michael Fletcher was tabbed with a roughing the passer penalty on third down, Fields and his running back Master Teague torched the Michigan State defense on the ground as Fields finished the drive by escaping five Michigan State defenders for a walk-in touchdown.
The Michigan State offense was dismal the entire first half as they finished with just 80 total yards in the first half. The Spartan offense began that poor display on offense in the first half with four consecutive three and outs. 
The Buckeyes took advantage of the Spartans’ struggles going up 28-0 at the end of the first half on the back of Fields’ legs.
With two minutes left to go in the first quarter, Fields began the drive by scrambling outside of the pocket and turning up field for a 44 yard gain to the Michigan State 28. On the next set of downs Fields would find Garrett Wilson for a 28 yard touchdown pass to cap off a 72 yard, 41 second drive.
Self enforced errors and penalties were killers for Michigan State. Following Ohio State’s quick striking drive, Michigan State again went three and out and gave the ball back to Ohio State. Michigan State then committed a holding penalty as Ohio State was facing third and five to keep the chains moving.
As Ohio State drove inside Michigan State’s 10, the Spartans looked to have a big sack coming out of a timeout, only to have 12 players on the field. Fields would cap off the drive with his second touchdown run of the game.
Michigan State quarterback Rocky Lombardi struggled in the first half as the run game looked flat and miscommunication on routes hampered the passing attack. Backed up into his own endzone, the Ohio State defense was able to deflect his pass and come up with an interception to add to the already bleak game.
Lombardi would later leave the game with what appeared to be a shoulder injury. Redshirt quarterback Payton Thorne stepped in to replace Lombardi for the remainder of the game.
Michigan State would get their first drive of substance in the game before the end of the half as Thorne was able to provide a spark to the MSU offense through the air. Driving inside Ohio State territory for the first time, Thorne couldn’t break the seal for the Spartans as he was stripped for a fumble to end the first half.
On the Spartans next drive Thorne would continue to look efficient in the beginning of the second half. On their first second half drive, Thorne drove the Spartans back into Ohio State territory but came up short as the Spartans questionably chose to punt.
The Buckeyes continued to flex their muscles as graduate transfer running back Trey Sermon flashed past the Spartan defense for a 64 yard touchdown run.​

WES MALOTT WINS FOR THE PORTLAND LUMBERJACKS IN THE FIRST-EVER PBA LEAGUE ALL STAR CLASH

Picture
​New York, NY — 2020 will go down as the year most of us will want to forget, but it’s certainly been very memorable for Wes Malott and the Portland Lumberjacks!
Malott emerged as the first-ever PBA League All Star Clash Champion taking down Hall of Famer and longtime doubles partner, Dallas Strikers’ Norm Duke in the final round of unpredictable and always exciting sudden-death style special event at Bowlero Centreville.
“In this type of format, it can really go anyway, said Malott. “To know that I have these guys (referring to his Lumberjack teammates) supporting me on the sidelines in this particular environment. I wouldn’t want it any other way. This win is for all of us!”
The Lumberjacks, who won back-to-back PBA League Elias Cup championships just two months ago in the same building have built a franchise winning team with strong chemistry and trust in the two-time PBA League MVP Malott.
“This is the franchise player,” said Lumberjacks teammate Kyle Troup about Malott in the first round of competition. “We know he has ten back every shot and he’s chopping down the competition one shot at a time.”
The Lumberjacks support for Malott never faltered throughout the competition.
“Wes is sharp, he has good ball reaction and a lot of confidence,” added Troup about Malott’s game in the tenth round with three players remaining.
Troup was right as Malott outlasted eleven PBA and PWBA Tour professionals to capture the $50,000 first-place prize for his team.
It was not all smooth sailing for Malott, who had a lucky break in round five getting a late strike. All players struck in the round, forcing a roll-off between the remaining eight competitors. Malott easily struck in his next shot to continue his champion run.
Stealing the show for the first ten rounds of the competition was Danielle McEwan of the Miami Waves, one of two PWBA Tour players who brought her A-game to compete against the best in the world.
McEwan, who competed in the PBA Summer Clash in June, used the experience to her advantage, plus the anchor position in the event’s format to knock out Philadelphia Hitmen’s Dom Barrett in round one, Silver Lake Atom Splitters’ Chris Barnes in round three, Phoenix Fury’s Liz Johnson in round four, L.A. X’s Jason Belmonte in round six, NYC KingPins’ Pete Weber in round seven, and Las Vegas High Rollers’ Francois Lavoie in round eight. Remaining players were eliminated in roll-off ties. The 12 All Star players were selected to represent their teams by having the highest number of PBA or PWBA titles on each team, with an impressive combined total of 248 Tour titles.
202 PBA League All Star Clash Results
  1. Wes Malott, Portland Lumberjacks
  2. Norm Duke, Dallas Strikers
  3. Danielle McEwan, Miami Waves
  4. EJ Tackett, Motown Muscle
  5. Francois Lavoie, Las Vegas High Rollers
  6. Pete Weber, NYC KingPins
  7. Jason Belmonte, L.A. X
  8. Walter Ray Williams Jr., Brooklyn Styles
  9. Liz Johnson, Phoenix Fury
  10. Chris Barnes, Silver Lake Atom Splitters
  11. Sean Rash, Brew City Ballers
  12. Dom Barrett, Philadelphia Hitmen

Physicality and turnovers: How MSU upset Northwestern in East Lansing

Picture
By Joe Dandron   Mel Tucker closed his eyes at practice leading up to MSU’s game against Northwestern.
He heard the physicality in a way he hadn’t before.
“In our team run periods when we had the pads on, they started to sound, the practices started to sound like they are supposed to sound,” Tucker said when asked about the practices leading up to Saturday's game. “The physicality, you could close your eyes and actually hear a physical football team on both sides of the ball. When you start to get that feel, you start to get that physicality, it's something that players look forward to.”
The physicality he heard in practice came through in the game Saturday as MSU upset undefeated Northwestern at Spartan Stadium. 
It manifested itself in forcing four turnovers and gaining 195 rushing yards on 47 attempts. All those numbers are season highs for MSU.
“In some of our previous games we felt like we were very close in the run game,” Tucker said. “From an offensive line standpoint, tight ends blocking, runners hitting the hole and just understanding where the power of the play is and where the runs need to hit. We had some plays we were able to show our guys (and say), ‘If we do it right, we’re efficient in the run game’, and we were able to build on those.”
Tucker has preached that physicality all season. It was missing as MSU lost 49-7 to Iowa on the road and 24-0 to Indiana at home. But on Saturday, Tucker finally got through to his team in a 29-20 victory over one of the best teams in the Big Ten and FBS. 
MSU had four turnovers, the final one for a touchdown with zeroes on the clock to capitalize the upset as Kalon Gervin rolled onto the football in the endzone.
Connor Heyward had 96 rushing yards, and quarterback Rocky Lombardi had 65 of his own. The Spartans imposed their will despite only averaging 73.8 rushing yards a game coming into Saturday’s game.
“I think over the last two weeks we really got better and improved in the run game,” Heyward said after the game. “ We really worked on our craft these past two weeks, having that week off we didn’t take any days off. We went to work everyday whether that was just film or a lift.”
A defense that gave up 49 points to Iowa, only allowed 20 to Northwestern. MSU gave up just 63 total rushing yards in the game on 1.7 yards a carry.
Northwestern, a team that has prided itself on physical dominance all season, met its match in its first loss all year.

DREW ROSI CARRIES ON ROCKET FAMILY LEGACY

Picture
Senior tight end Drew Rosi will graduate with his bachelor’s degree in finance on Sunday, Dec. 6
By: Chris Cullum Toledo
Assistant Director of Athletic Communications
When senior tight end Drew Rosi put on his Toledo jersey as a freshman in 2017, he wasn't the first in his family to do so. Nor would he be the last.
Drew's father, Steve Rosi, played tight end for the Rockets from 1992-95, earning first-team All-MAC and honorable mention All-America honors as a senior in 1995. So when Drew had his first meeting position meeting with the other tight ends his freshman year, some of his teammates began to connect the dots.
"It took about a day or two," Drew said. "There's a big picture of my dad with his name, it didn't take long for them to put it together."
Now in his fourth season, Drew has also left his mark on the Rocket football program. He played in 10 games as a true freshman in 2017, helping Toledo win a MAC Championship. He set career highs last year with 18 catches for 238 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including the game-winning TD reception in an overtime win against Eastern Michigan.
Drew has also been an exemplary student since arriving at Toledo. He is a two-time Academic All-MAC honoree and he will graduate this semester with a bachelor's degree in finance from the College of Business and Innovation.
"Drew comes from a great family and he's a guy that understands the importance of handling responsibilities at a high level," head coach Jason Candle said. "He's been that way since the minute he stepped on campus. Drew is a guy that doesn't back away from challenges. He meets them head on."
"As a parent, it feels great to know that one of your children has put forth that much effort and dedication towards something," said Steve Rosi, who played on the last undefeated Rocket team in 1995. "It's a difficult thing to play Division I sports and graduate college while doing as well as Drew has academically. It makes me smile to know what he has been able to accomplish."
Drew is the oldest of the three children in the Rosi family, all of whom are student-athletes. His younger brother Nick maintained the family legacy and followed him to Toledo, earning Freshman All-America honors as an offensive lineman last season. Younger sister Raegan is a freshman on the Wheeling University volleyball team. Living in the Columbus suburb of Powell, most of the conversations around sports unsurprisingly revolved around the Ohio State Buckeyes. But not for the Rosi family.
"Growing up in the Columbus area it was always about Ohio State or Michigan," Drew said. "But I didn't really care about either because I was a Rocket fan."
A standout player at Olentangy Liberty High School, Drew had other opportunities to play college football, but in the end the decision was a no-brainer.
"I had other offers," Drew said. "But the only school that I think really appreciated me and wanted me was Toledo."
Drew had grown up hearing about Toledo football and rooting for the Midnight Blue and Gold; now he would be joining them on the gridiron.
"When I was younger I used to listen to my dad's stories about how it was when he was here," Drew said. "It's cool being here and seeing his picture in the tight end room. It's a great place to be and I'm very fortunate to have the opportunity to play where he did."
Earning the chance to be a Division I student-athlete is an accomplishment in itself, let alone becoming an important contributor on a team. And if there was one person who knew what it felt like to stand in Drew's shoes, it was his father.


Drew (center) with his father Steve (far left), sister Raegan
(second from left), mother Deana (second from right),
and brother Nick (far right).  

"I know the dedication and hard work it takes to just being available, and enduring all the bumps and bruises," Steve said. "It means a lot to see him out there. I still get chills."
Last week's game against Eastern Michigan was the first time Steve was not able to see Drew or Nick play in person. They're all only a phone call away though, and Steve has been happy to serve as a resource for his two sons.
"They know I'm here and I've obviously shared a lot with them over the years," Steve said. "But I also know they take care of their business and do things the right way. As a father, I'm actually proud of the times they don't lean on me because I know they're doing okay on their own and thriving."
To steal a phrase from his father, Drew has definitely been taking care of business academically. He carries a 3.72 cumulative grade point average as a finance major and has met the criteria to be an Academic All-America nominee each of the last two seasons. The move to virtual classes this semester has not affected him at all; on the contrary, they're a good fit for his personality.
"I've always liked online classes," Drew said. "I like to get all of my work done as soon as I can so I can have plenty of time for football or to hang out or do whatever I want to do. Having online classes where I can work at my own pace helps with that. I've also had a lot of online classes in the past, so I was used to that type of schedule."
Drew plans to pursue professional football opportunities that become available once he leaves Toledo, and his dream job isn't far removed from his pigskin dreams. One day he would like to put his finance degree to good use and become the CFO of an NFL franchise.
Drew's Toledo journey doesn't end with the Virtual Commencement ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 6. The Rockets' final regular season game is six days later on Dec. 12 against Central Michigan, and he has also enrolled in COBI's graduate program where he will pursue his MBA in finance. The door is not closed on his playing career either; all football student-athletes in NCAA Division I will not accrue a year of eligibility this season, meaning he will be able to return in 2021 if he so desires.
In any case, receiving his bachelor's degree is a natural time to reflect on his time as a Rocket, and one thing is abundantly clear. Not only has Drew Rosi left an impact on the University of Toledo, but the University of Toledo has left an impact on Drew Rosi.
"It's been one of the best decisions I've ever made," Drew said. "Being able to graduate college and pursue a career in football or finance or something else entirely, my time at Toledo will give me the opportunity to be successful in whatever I do. It's something you dream about when you're a kid."

The Battle Royale that wasn't OSU beats back upstart Indiana 42-35

Picture
Ohio State junior quarterback Justin Fields (1) rushes the football down the field against Indiana Nov. 21. Credit: Christian Harsa | Assistant Photo Editor

Ohio State got its first top-10 win Saturday, but its play on the field left much to be desired. 
The Buckeyes jumped out to a hot start, forcing Indiana into a quick punt on its opening drive and scoring on a two-play drive capped off by a touchdown pass from junior quarterback Justin Fields to sophomore wide receiver Garrett Wilson. 
However following that opening drive, Fields’ next three throws would result in two interceptions and an incompletion, allowing the Hoosiers to stick around in the opening half. Although the game would get as narrow as seven points late in the fourth quarter, Ohio State (4-0) would ultimately win the game 42-35 against Indiana (4-

“Really excited to be 4-0,” head coach Ryan Day said Saturday. “Coming off the bye week there and just looking back on everything we’ve been through the last few months, to be 4-0, be first place in the Big Ten East, big, big deal. Couldn’t be prouder of this team.”
Fields went on to finish the game 18-for-30 for 300 yards with 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. 
Wilson and junior wide receiver Chris Olave continued their stellar play with both reaching the 100-yard mark again. Wilson has reached the century-mark in every game this season, while this is Olave’s third game over 100 yards. 
Wilson hauled in seven receptions for 169 yards and two scores, while Olave added 101 yards on eight receptions. 
On the ground, redshirt sophomore running back Master Teague III had a career day, finishing the game with a career-high in yards and touchdowns. 

GAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR Jackson’s Steve Maddalena Tops 2020 Senior Honor Roll

Picture
​FARMINGTON HILLS – Jackson’s Steve Maddalena has taken his game to the national stage in recent years, but still manages to star at home at age 60, too.
   “Honestly, I’m playing better now than I have in a long time,” he said. “I’m more comfortable with my game and playing against national players has helped.”
  Maddalena, a Country Club of Jackson member, is the Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) Senior Men’s Player of the Year, Ken Hartmann senior director of competitions and USGA services, announced today. It’s the second consecutive year that Maddalena has earned the honor.
  GAM Players of the Year are determined by the Honor Roll/Player of the Year points system. Player of the Year point totals can be found on a pull down from the PLAY tab at GAM.org.
  Last week James Piot of Canton was named the GAM Men’s Player of the Year and Anna Kramer of Spring Lake was named the Women’s Player of the Year. Over the next few weeks the GAM will announce more Players of the Year in gender and age categories.
  “It was one of my goals this year – to try and repeat as Senior Player of the Year – and I was fortunate to do that,” said Maddalena, who was elected to the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame in 2007. “The competition is great and it doesn’t get easier. Every year a new group of guys turn 55 and make it even more competitive.”
  Most of the national events outside of USGA competitions don’t factor in GAM Player of the Year points, but Maddalena did have four top-10 finishes in significant tournaments around the country. His best finish was a second in the recent Society of Seniors – Founder’s Cup Championship at Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz, Calif.
  His 393 GAM Player of the Year points were built primarily by winning the Michigan Senior Open in a sudden-death playoff with fellow Hall of Fame member and professional Jeff Roth of Boyne Golf Academy, as well as reaching the semifinals of the GAM Senior Match Play Championship where he was topped by eventual champion Mitch Wilson of Portage.
  It was Wilson, a member at the Moors Golf Club and the 2018 Senior Men’s Player of the Year, who finished second in the 2020 Player of the Year point totals with 233 points.
  Gregg Bonamici of Grosse Ile Golf & Country Club, the GAM Senior Champion, was third with 200 points. Jerry Gunthorpe of Ovid and Owosso Country Club was third with 190 points, and John Barbour of Grand Rapids and Cascade Hills Country Club rounded out the top five with 150 points.
  Barbour lost in a playoff to Bonamici in the GAM Senior Championship at Belvedere, and Maddalena said missing a putt on the final hole of regulation play to miss being part of the playoff was one of his few regrets of the summer.
  “I really wanted to win that tournament at Belvedere, one of my favorite courses,” said Maddalena, who won his first of three Michigan Amateur titles at the Charlevoix classic course.
   Otherwise, Maddalena, who also won the Jackson City Golf Championship for a record eighth time and became its oldest winner ever, said he had a solid summer and plans to keep playing a combination of Michigan and national tournaments.
  “I’ve had a lot of fun traveling around playing against the best players in the country,” he said. “To get ranked in the national top 50 seniors in the country (World Amateur Golf Rankings) was one my goals for the summer and I finished at 46. I would like to keep improving on that. As long as I feel I’m competitive and have a reasonable chance to win, I’ll keep playing like this. As soon as I feel I don’t have a chance to win, I probably will not be playing much and saving myself a lot of money.”
  Hartmann said he expects Maddalena to remain competitive for a long time.
   “His wedge game is really good, he’s aggressive, he grinds on that short game and doesn’t make big mistakes or big numbers,” he said. “He’s consistent and seems to work on the game like he did when he was younger. He’s a cordial guy, great to be around, not cocky, and very quiet. You don’t know if he is playing great or playing poorly. You just can’t tell from his face because he is locked-in to his game.”
Ally Challenge: ​Jim Furyk birdies 4 of 5 to  pull within one shot of the lead​ (Leaderboard Below)

The Press (including myself) talk to golf hall of famer Vijay Singh on still dominating on Legends Tour

All that mattered was the fist bump -- not handshake -- with Jack Nicklaus and taking his place along his idol, Seve Ballesteros, as the only Spaniards to reach No. 1 in the world.
With a 2-shot penalty because his ball moved the length of a dimple on his chip-in behind the 16th green, Rahm closed with 3-over 75 for a 3-shot victory over Ryan Palmer.
Rahm got up and down on the final four greens, which made it even sweeter.
One of the best performances of my life,'' Rahm said. "Yesterday was probably one of the best rounds of my life and finished today with some clutch up-and-downs. As a Spaniard, I'm kind of glad it happened that way.''
The fiery emotion is his hallmark. He showed it on a tee shot that sailed left into a creek on the 11th hole, slamming his club into the ground in a pique of anger. It was also evident with a ferocious fist pump after his flop shot from deep rough behind the 16th green rolled into the cup.
Birdie or bogey, it was a winner, a shot that would have made Ballesteros proud.
"I still can't believe it, I'm not going to lie,'' Rahm told Nicklaus off the 18th green.
With the penalty -- Rahm had no idea it was an issue until after his round but accepted the penalty when he saw video that zoomed in on the ball -- he finished at 9-under 279 for his 10th career victory and fourth on the PGA Tour.
Muirfield Village played its toughest in 42 years, with only five players under par, the fewest for the final round since the tournament began in 1976. Rahm's 75 was the highest finish by a winner since Roger Maltbie shot 76 the inaugural year.
The rough wasn't cut all week. The greens were allowed to go to the edge because they are being replaced. Crews stripped the entire fifth green as the leaders were on the back nine.
Rahm looked to be playing a different course. He played bogey-free on the front nine, with birdies on the two par-5s. That put him eight shots clear on his way to No. 1.
Then he made bogey on the 10th. Not a problem.
He yanked his tee shot into a creek on the par-5 11th, and that was a bigger problem, based on how hard he slammed the club into the ground in a pique of anger. He made double-bogey. Palmer made birdie on the 12th, and Rahm made another bogey from the bunker on the 14th.
Just like that, the lead was three shots.

Jon Rahm, pictured above with Jack Nicklaus, closed with a 3-over 75 for a 3-shot victory over Ryan Palmer, marking the highest final round by a Memorial winner since Roger Maltbie shot 76 in the inaugural year in 1976. Aaron Doster/USA TODAY SportsOnly a week ago at Muirfield Village for the Workday Charity Open, Justin Thomas had a 3-shot lead with three holes to play and wound up losing in a playoff to Collin Morikawa.
Rahm was worried that his tee shot might find the back bunker, though the rough was not a great option with how fast the greens were running. Rahm was thinking that anything inside 10 feet would be good. This was perfect, with the ball landing on the fringe and sliding down the slope into the cup.
As for the penalty?
"It doesn't change the outcome of the tournament,'' he said. "It just puts a little bit of an asterisk in it, in the sense of I wish I could just keep that birdie because it was one of the greatest shots of my life, right?''
The chip was similar -- but from a different angle -- to Tiger Woods' chipping in from behind the 16th green when he won the Memorial for the fifth time in 2012.
Woods, in his first competition since Feb. 16 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, shot 76 and tied for 40th.
Matthew Fitzpatrick had a 68 for the low score of the final day to finish third.
The consolation prize went to Palmer (74) and Mackenzie Hughes (72), who earned spots in the U.S. Open in September at Winged Foot as the leading two players from the top 10 who were not already eligible.
Henrik Norlander could have taken the final spot with a par on the 18th, but he missed the fairway well to the right, couldn't reach the green and made bogey. Norlander and Hughes tied at 3-under 285, but the spot went to Hughes because he had the better world ranking.
That ranking now starts with Rahm, who only four years ago was at the Memorial to receive the Jack Nicklaus Award as the nation's best college player.
Now he's the best in the world, a ranking Rory McIlroy had since Feb. 9.
"He deserves it," McIlroy said after his tie for 32nd. "He's been playing great for a long time. Even the display this week, it's pretty impressive."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
By Tyler Kotila- New Jock City-​​The Detroit Tigers are buried in the rebuild right now, but 2020 is still going to be a make or break season for outfielder JaCoby Jones as he looks to show he belongs.The 2020 season is going to be a crucial one for Detroit Tigers outfielder JaCoby Jones who needs to prove that he belongs in the big leagues after a rough showing the past two seasons. Jones has been in the big leagues for parts of the past four seasons. The main issue with Jones is his plate discipline and lack of patience, leading to far too many strikeouts.
The Tigers outfield this year consists of some familiar faces, even an old friend in the form of Cameron Maybin, but if Jones wants to stick around, he needs to improve and show he belongs. He will get the opportunities this year platooning with Maybin and Víctor Reyes, who will find himself all over.
With Daz Cameron continuing in his route to the big leagues, Jones is going to have some more competition once the prospects within the organization continue developing. That is if he’s still around by that point in time.
​
In 2019, Jones played in eighty-eight games where he hit .235/.310/.430 with eleven home runs and twenty-six RBI while striking out ninety-four times. Injuries kept Jones on the injured list in 2019, and off the lineup card, he continued to show inconsistency either way.
Back in 2018, in his first “full” season in the big leagues, Jones was not very good posting a .207/.266/.304  with eleven home runs and thirty-four RBI while striking out 142 times on the season. Jones’s inconsistency at the plate has limited his value during his time in the big leagues.
The hope for Jones would be that a strong spring performance would carry over to the regular season, and he can emerge as a true consistent everyday centerfielder.
Picture

Musings of a Filterless Reporter-Column
​by Roy J. Akers

​

 My take on Detroit Sports News- by Roy J. Akers



The Ally Challenge: Who is more excited, Tom Izzo to meet the Legends or the Legends to meet Izzo?

Picture
Musings of a Filterless Reporter-Column
​by Roy J. Akers

 He who has the gold...

    
     After reading an article in Sports Illustrated regarding NFL players and in particular, quarterbacks having more power than ever, they present a theory that is off base. 

   When the Texans' Deshawn Watson initially told the Houston Texans he wanted out due to owner Bob McNair reneging on a promise to keep him in the loop regarding the candidates in the GM/coaching search, he was over promised and the owner under delivered. But with McNair and NFL owners, they do NOT owe the players any say when it tomes to personnel decisions. 

     The players do not understand that the owners made their bones in fields outside of football. The several billion dollars owners are now spending to purchase franchises was done with no player help and if they succeed in purchasing a franchise in the NFL cartel, they will be making money  after expenses than any one player they pay and they will continue to make their money past the time they pay any current players as long as they own the team. 

     The NFL owners are set to double their next TV deal in terms of revenue and while they have a union agreement to pay the players collectively between 52-55% of the deal, they are under no obligation to give any players any type of power. Remember, power is taken, not given. 

No owner is going to give away power unless they are forced to. In McNair's case, he offered to give Watson a say in the personnel matter. As an owner, it is probably smart to ask around the NFL who the best up and coming guys are and further inform themselves with their own front office and a few key players and NOT give them any power in the situation. 


A case in point is Detroit's Matthew Stafford. Stafford approached Lions management about leaving the team at the end of the 2020 season. The team could have said no and that would be the end of it. Stafford would have been unhappy but for 25 million dollars per year plus bonuses, who would feel sorry for him?

Instead, they told Stafford to wait until their own GM/Coaching search was over and they would oblige Stafford if they could get acceptable compensation for him. Stafford gave the Lions a list of preferred teams and low and behold, his top choice offered Detroit Jared Goff, two firsts and a third and the deal was done. Yes, Stafford had earned the right to ask out of his contract but the Lions are paying the gold and for a specific period of time in Stafford's career. Detroit got great compensation, the Rams got a borderline great quarterback and Stafford wielded his limited power as a valued franchise asset to move on. 

​     In Watson's case, he can ask all he wants and he might be dealt, but remember, he has a signed contract. Its the Texan's move. It would be smart for future NFL teams to keep players informed and bounce ideas off them but remember this, the owners are billionaires for a reason. They know how to make money and will make it long after the players have either played and most likely blown their own stack of cash made during their time in the NFL. 


MAC Announces 2020 Football All-MAC and Specialty Awards Buffalo junior running back Jaret Patterson tabbed the winner of the 39th Vern Smith Leadership Award as the top player in the MAC
(Complete list on B1G/MAC Football Pg.)

​Cleveland, Ohio – Today the Mid-American Conference announced the All-MAC Teams & Specialty Award selections for the 2020 football season. All of the awards were voted on by the league's 12 head coaches.
 

Buffalo junior running back Jaret Patterson was tabbed the winner of the 39th Vern Smith Leadership Award as the top player in the MAC and was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Year. Buffalo Head Coach Lance Leipold was selected as the MAC Head Coach of the Year, while Central Michigan running back Lew Nichols III was named MAC Freshman of the Year. Ball State linebacker Brandon Martin and Central Michigan defensive end Troy Hairston IIshared MAC Defensive Player of the Year honors. Western Michigan senior wide receiver/kickoff returner D'Wayne "Dee" Eskridge was named MAC Special Teams Player of the Year. 

Patterson is the first player in Buffalo program history to win the prestigious Vern Smith Leadership Award. He is just the second UB player to win MAC Offensive Player of the Year honors, joining former quarterback Tyree Jackson who won the award in 2018.Patterson has assembled a historic season through only five games. He leads the nation in rushing, averaging 203 yards per game and has scored 18 rushing touchdowns, third in the country. With 1,025 yards on the season, the junior running back became just the 12th player in FBS history to rush for 1,000 yards in the first five games of the year.
 
Leipold was named the MAC Coach of the Year for the second time in his career. He also won the award in 2018. Leipold has led Buffalo to a 5-0 record and a MAC East Division Championship. The Bulls lead the nation in scoring (51.8 ppg) and rushing yards per game (344.6). He is the first UB head coach to win the honor multiple times. Former head coach Turner Gill won the award in 2007.

Martin, who returned this year after sustaining a season-ending injury in the 2019 opener, ranks fourth nationally with 12.0 tackles per game. The redshirt junior from Indianapolis had 6.5 tackles for loss, including 5.0 in the past three games. Martin is the first Ball State player to win the defensive player of the year honor since Brad Maynard won it as a punter in 1996 and the first traditional defensive player to win the award for BSU since linebacker Greg Garnica did it three straight years from 1987-89.

Hairston leads the MAC in both sacks (5.5) and tackles-for-loss (12). Nationally, he ranks third in tackles-for-loss and 10th in sacks per game. Hairston is the third Chippewa to earn the MAC Defensive Player of the Year Award, joining Dan Bazuin (2005) and Ray Bentley (1982). 
 
Eskridge was one of two players in the league with a kickoff return for a touchdown this season, while his 27.5 yards per kickoff return led the league among players with at least five returns. At receiver, Eskridge led the MAC in receiving yards (784), yards per game (130.7) and receiving touchdowns (eight). It marks the third time in the last five seasons a Bronco has collected Special Teams Player of the Year after Darius Phillips won it in 2016 and '17.

Nichols led the Chippewas with 508 yards rushing and he caught 10 passes for 109 yards and scored five touchdowns. He ranked seventh in the MAC in rushing yards per game (84.7) and was ninth in yards per carry (6.5). Nichols is the sixth Chippewa to earn the MAC Freshman of the Year Award and the first since Antonio Brown in 2007.

TIGER WOODS ANNOUNCES FLINT NATIVE WILLIE MACK III AS RECIPIENT OF THE 2021 CHARLIE SIFFORD MEMORIAL EXEMPTION

LOS ANGELES – Tournament Host Tiger Woods announced Willie Mack III as the recipient of the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption into the 2021 Genesis Invitational field. Awarded since 2009, the exemption represents the advancement of diversity in the game of golf.
 
“Willie learned to golf with his dad just like I did and those are memories that will last forever. I am excited to see Willie make another lasting memory when he tees it up at Riviera,” Woods said. “Willie has endured through difficult times off the course the past few years and I know Charlie would be proud of how he has stayed focused on achieving his dream.”
 
Mack, a native of Flint, MI, played college golf at Bethune-Cookman winning 11 titles as a Wildcat. In 2011, Mack became the first African American to win the Michigan Amateur Championship. Mack currently competes on the Advocates Pro Golf Association (APGA) Tour and Florida Professional Golf Tour, earning Player of the Year honors for both tours in 2019.
 
“I want to thank my father who introduced me to the great game of golf,” Mack said. “My dream since I first picked up a club has been to play on the PGA TOUR. It’s really special that I will play in my first PGA TOUR event because of an exemption named after Charlie Sifford, a person I’ve long admired, and in a tournament hosted by Tiger Woods, who is the reason I got into golf.”
 
The start at Riviera during the 2021 Genesis Invitational will be Mack’s first on the PGA TOUR. Mack has previously played on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Tour.
 
Since 2009, the exemption has been given to a golfer representing a minority background to play in the annual PGA TOUR event at Riviera. In 2017, the exemption was re-named to honor the memory of Charlie Sifford, the first African American player to compete on the PGA TOUR. Previous exemption recipients include Vincent Johnson (2009), Joshua Wooding (2010), Joseph Bramlett (2011 & 2020), Andy Walker (2012), Jeremiah Wooding (2013), Harold Varner III (2014), Carlos Sainz, Jr. (2015), J.J. Spaun (2016), Kevin M. Hall (2017), Cameron Champ (2018) and Tim O’Neal (2019).
 
The 2021 Genesis Invitational will be held February 15-21 and broadcast on GOLF Channel and CBS. To enhance the fan experience at home, the tournament is excited to offer games, activities and more to keep viewers engaged with the tournament while watching. Also the Genesis Invitational is taking its family village virtual in 2021 with digital activities, challenges, education resources and more for kids ages 5-12. These fan enhancement elements will be available on GenesisInvitational.com in the coming weeks. About The Genesis Invitational
One of the most historic and longest-running events on the PGA TOUR, The Genesis Invitational celebrates its 95th playing, February 15-21, 2021, at historic Riviera Country Club. With TGR Live serving as the event management company for The Genesis Invitational, the primary benefiting charity is TGR Foundation, with proceeds from the event supporting the foundation’s education programs in Southern California. The tournament’s title sponsor is Genesis, a global luxury automotive brand that delivers the highest standards of performance, design and innovation. For more information about The Ge
 About TGR Live, A Tiger Woods Venture
For more than 20 years, TGR Live has exclusively organized and managed fundraising events supporting the TGR Foundation. It focuses solely on creating amazing experiences for the foundation’s clients at world-class events. TGR Live provides a variety of services including hospitality management, public relations and marketing, tournament operations, and sponsor sales at PGA TOUR and signature events which benefit the foundation. While many TGR Live events are televised, TGR Live does not provide TV or video production. For more information, visit TGRLive.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @TGRLiveEvents.

​Caledonia's Brett White aiming for wire-to-wire win at Michigan Open

Picture
​Acme — Brett White is one day from a wire-to-wire win at the Michigan Open.
White, a left-hander from Caledonia in west Michigan, shot a 1-under 71 and was at 9 under for a one-shot lead on The Bear course at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa.
White has led after each of the first three rounds.
"I’ve never led a tournament wire-to-wire yet, but I’ll go out tomorrow and do it,” said White, 27.
A shot back was Chad Kurmel, 49, a teaching pro from Forest Akers at Michigan State in East Lansing. He shot a 5-under 67 on Wednesday.
Three back were defending champion Eric Lilleboe (71) of Okemos and 2020 Michigan PGA Professional champion Ben Cook (73) of Wayland. Cook played in the PGA Championship last month.
It’s not the homecoming Erik Jones expected. 
Just days before NASCAR returned to the Wolverine State for this weekend’s races at Michigan Speedway, word leaked on the internet that the 24-year-old’s contract would not be renewed at Joe Gibbs Racing. 
JGR confirmed the story later Thursday night. Christopher Bell, his fellow Toyota development driver, is expected to replace Jones in the No. 20 team in 2021.
“I greatly appreciate the opportunity that JGR provided me with over the last four years and I wish the team nothing but success and good fortune,” Jones said in the team release. “JGR gave me a solid foundation from which to go out and compete at the highest level and I look forward to building on that in the years to come.”
The Byron, Michigan, racer, the first in a long and tremendously successful list of Toyota proteges, executed the perfect audition when he was just 16 by beating Kyle Busch in the 2012 Snowball Derby at 5 Flags Speedway. Soon after, Jones was recruited by Toyota.
Jones’ meteoric rise through the NASCAR ranks included wins in ARCA and then in the Truck Series—in his fifth start. He was both the youngest driver to win his first race and the championship in the Gander RV & Outdoors Trucks Series, at ages 17 and 19, respectively. His truck title came during his first full season on the tour. 
Nine races into his Xfinity Series experience, Jones won from the pole at Texas Motor Speedway in the 2015 spring race. The following week, he was recruited to sub for an ailing Denny Hamlin at in the No. 11 Cup car after Hamlin suffered neck spasms during a lengthy rain delay at Bristol. Two years later, Jones graduated to a second car at Furniture Row Racing. The situation was far from ideal. Still, in a freshman class that included Daniel Suarez, Ty Dillon and Corey LaJoie, Jones won 2017 rookie honors handily.
Once he joined the JGR fold in 2018, Jones scored his first Cup win at the July Daytona race. He doubled his top-five results, finished half of his starts in the top 10 and qualified for the Playoffs. In 2019, Jones won again—this time in the prestigious Southern 500 at Darlington—and earned a one-year extension on his contract, even though Bell waiting in the wings as the next young, hot prospect in the Toyota camp. 
Although Jones started the 2020 season by winning the Busch Clash at Daytona, he’s currently 18th in the standings after five top fives and eight top 10s in 20 starts. Since joining JGR, Jones has been overshadowed by veteran teammates Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin. His results were better than those of Daniel Suarez during their two seasons together at JGR. Though Busch has yet to win in 2020, Hamlin has won a fourth of this year’s Cup races. Martin Truex Jr. won at Martinsville in June.
Sure, Jones has endured his share of bad luck. But compared with some of his 20-something peers on the Cup tour, Jones has more top-five and top-10 finishes than Alex Bowman, Matt DiBenedetto, William Byron, Tyler Reddick, Austin Dillon or Bell. 
Certainly, Bell is a once-in-a-generational talent in whom Toyota has invested handsomely. Under the direction of Jason Ratcliff, who also guided Jones earlier in his career, Bell has made gains in the No. 95 Toyota. His true potential won't become evident until he's under JGR’s roof. 
Perennially, there has been a stark contrast between Jones and the other top Gibbs’ drivers in equal equipment. When drivers such as Carl Edwards or Matt Kenseth entered the stable, both were able to hold their own and win immediately.
That’s not to say that Jones won’t flourish in a different environment, as Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick or Kyle Busch did when they left their previous employers for a fresh start. I would bet on it. 
While Bubba Wallace is the frontrunner for the No. 42 Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, and LaJoie appears headed to the No. 37 JTG Daugherty team, and the replacement plans for the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports seat have yet to be determined, Jones could enter any of those situations and make a significant difference.

Brad Keselowski presser talking about his new deal and Covid-19 racing MIS Doubleheader

Notes from Presser
     When MIS visits the Irish Hills this weekend, Michigan hosts two of NASCAR’s finest drivers in Erik Jones and Brad Keselowski, albeit with the drivers going in different career directions. For Jones, it’s the end of the road at Joe Gibbs Racing. Jones had great moments with the team, winning multiple times in his DeWalt #20 Toyota. But the Gibbs team had an itch to scratch and for them, they have been developing Christopher Bell, who has been winning consistently in NASCAR’s undercard series. Jones appreciated his time with the team, “I greatly appreciate the opportunity that JGR provided me with over the last four years and I wish the team nothing but success and good fortune,” Jones said in the team release. “JGR gave me a solid foundation from which to go out and compete at the highest level and I look forward to building on that in the years to come.” Jones is rumored to have several suitors for 2021 when his contract is up at the end of the 2020 season.
As for Brad Keselowski, the former NASCAR 2012 champion has won just about everywhere in NASCAR, but MIS, the site of two shortened races this weekend, has eluded him. Keselowski acknowledged in a reporter scrum that he is part of the big three with Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin. “Kevin has done a great job winning and getting points and Denny has also done a great job,” said Keselowski.” Keselowski added that earning points and getting into the championship is one thing, but winning the championship is another.
The Covid-19 reality has been an eye opener in NASCAR with more but shortened races over the course of a week at the track. This affects how teams prepare for the weekend workload. “It put’s an emphasis on having the car right in the first race,” said Keselowski. We have to give the team great feedback from the car. There is a lot of emphasis on giving them (the team) great feedback and debrief the team during and post race.  
      Keselowski believes that NASCAR will change their business model going forward as their has been plenty of experimentation with the schedule, racing double headers and so on and in fact, has already seen far reaching changes. “We have learned from this pandemic we will apply for years to come. I think one of the biggest ones is we used to come to racetracks like Michigan on a Thursday and race until Sunday. That was three-and- a- half-days at the track and I do not see us going back to that model.”
Keselowski said from a race driver perspective that going forward there are a lot more changes going forward from scheduling to the racing itself.
Perhaps NASCAR will apply what worked in the past to bridging to what the consumer wants in the future. One thing is for sure, Keselowski will have an opinion on that. 
​

​Erik Jones has moved over to Richard Petty Racing after winless 2020

Roy J. Akers gets around


Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • B1G /College
  • Motor Sports
  • Michigan Golf Scene
  • PGA/LPGA/Legends
  • B1G/MAC Football
  • Droned Courses
  • Archived Opinions/Photo Galleries
  • About
  • Contact